presented  to  the 
UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 

by 

Douglas  Warren 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OP 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


C 


SIA  PRIZE 

Hawaiian  Stories 


OP  THE 


LEAGUE 


Honolulu: 

Hawaiian  Gazette  Company 
1899 


CONTENTS 


Kalani— Emma  L.  Dillingham       .  .       5 

A  Legend  of  Haleakala--Geo.  H.  De  La  Vergne  .  24 

Peleg  Chapman's  Sharks—  W.  N.  Armstrong   -  44 

'Twas  Cupid's  Dart — J.  W-  Girvin      -  64 

Legend  of  Hiku  i  Kanahele— Mauricio  85 

The  Story  of  a  Brave  Woman — A  Native  -  104 


CHAPTER  I. 


UHEA  oe,  Nalima?  Elua  nahae  hou 
o  kuu  lole!"1     "Auwe,  pelaf"2  re 
plied  the  old  woman  addressed,  tak 
ing  at  the  same  time  from  Kalani's 
hands   a  coat  that  might  best  be 
described   as   one   of  many  colors. 
The  old  man  seated  himself  on  the  floor  of  the  lit 
tle  hut,  and  gazed  at  this  same  coat  in  a  manner 
savoring  of  dejection.     "Yes,"  he  said,  "while  I 


1  "Where  are  you,  Nalima?    Here  are  two  new  rents 
in  my  clothes !" 

2  "Oh  dear!  is  that  so?" 


was  digging  around  the  taro  down  by  the  stream, 
I  left  it  hanging  on  a  branch  of  the  big  kukui 
tree,  but  when  I  returned  to  put  it  on,  I  found 
that  it  had  blown  off,  caught  on  a  piece  of 
bark  and  torn  that  hole.  Do  you  think  you  can 
mend  it  so  that  I  can  wear  it  on  Sunday?  You 
know  I  have  no  other.  Pilikia  maoli!"  (sad 
plight),  and  Kalani  gave  a  grunt  that  embodied 
many  emotions. 

Nalima's  small,  slightly  withered  hands  were 
turning  the  coat  tenderly.  Patch  had  already 
been  placed  upon  patch,  nearly  every  one  differ 
ing  in  material  and  color  from  the  original  fabric, 
which  was  a  cotton  twill,  and  the  bleachings  of 
sun  and  soap  had  added  variety  in  many  shades 
of  blue  and  brown. 

Yes,  she  had  a  little  piece  of  blue  flannel  left 
that  would  just  fit  this  new  rent,  she  mused,  and 
the  whole  thing  must  be  washed  again.  She  was 
sure  she  could  have  it  ready  to  wear  that  same 
night.  This  hopeful  view  enabled  her  old  husband 
to  start  again  with  his  o-o  (Hawaiian  spade) 

6 


for  the  garden  patch.  He  removed  his  tattered 
hat  as  he  went,  revealing  a  head  of  fine  propor 
tions.  The  forehead  was  high  and  full,  and  the 
top  bald  and  shining.  Soft,  white  locks  clustered 
in  his  neck,  and  a  white  beard  several  inches 
in  length  gave  a  distinguished  look  to  his  face. 
Patience  looked  from  his  soft  dark  eyes  and  the 
expression  about  his  mouth  was  kind  and  firm. 
The  small  rush  mat  which  Nalima  had  been 
braiding  when  Kalani  arrived  with  his  tale  of 
woe  was  laid  aside,  and,  from  a  very  meager 
supply  of  housewifely  stores,  a  needle,  thread, 
and  bit  of  flannel  were  produced.  Her  dim  eyes 
strained  themselves  to  adjust  the  patch  to  the 
torn  edges,  and  her  trembling  hands  set  the 
stitches  with  patient  effort.  Meanwhile  the 
thoughts  of  the  old  wife  wandered  into  the  past. 
The  long-ago  was  a  happy  time  to  re-live.  When 
they  were  young,  in  Kauikeaouli's  time,  Kalani 
had  been  a  kanaka  nui  (great  man)  among  Ha- 
waiians.  He  had  been  a  luna  (overseer)  in  their 
valley  and  had  directed  the  konohiki  (chief's  res- 

7 


ident  land-agent)  Labor  for  years.  His  own  kuli- 
ana  (land-holding)  was  a  large  one,  and  the 
rights  of  the  stream  for  some  acres  were 
his.  He  in  his  turn  controlled  the  work  of  others 
for  himself.  Their  house  was  large  and  high 
and  had  a  window  of  glass  in  one  end;  the 
hikie  (bedstead)  was  a  pile  of  mats  soft  and 
fine,  and  the  bedding  was  of  the  finest  kapa.3 
There  was  always  a  plenty  of  poi*  in  the  calabash ; 
ti  roots,  kukui-nuts,  cocoa-nuts  and  breadfruit 
abounded  for  more  delicate  dishes.  They  them 
selves  were  well  and  strong,  and  oh !  how  proud 
they  were  of  their  boy  and  girl.  Like  a  dream 
had  been  the  years  between.  Sovereign  had  suc 
ceeded  sovereign.  Epidemics  has  decimated  the 
people.  The  konohiki  labor  had  lapsed. 
Strangers  had  leased  the  lands,  fences  now  barred 
the  way,  and  keys  effectually  locked  the  fastnesses 
from  the  ramblers  and  seekers  for  shells  and 


3     A  cloth  made  from  bark. 

•*     The  Hawaiian  "staff  of  life."     A  paste   made  of 
pounded  taro  root  mixed  with  water. 


ferns.  Their  own  acres  had  been  cajoled  away 
from  them,  and  only  this  little  hut  far  up  the 
valley,  and  a  small  plot  of  land,  on  which  they 
with  difficulty  raised  a  little  taro  and  a  few  sweet 
potatoes,  remained.  They  were  allowed  to  retain 
possession  of  this  as  compensation  for  guarding 
the  leased  lands  of  the  valley  against  trespassers, 
but  they  received  no  money.  The  children  had 
grown  and  gone.  The  daughter  had  married  and 
lived  a  few  years  at  Kona,  Hawaii,  then  died. 
The  son  had  braved  the  Arctic  cold  and  had  been 
a  sailor  for  years  on  a  whale  ship.  But  many, 
many  moons  had  passed  since  his  last  visit  home; 
probably  he,  too,  was  dead.  They  themselves 
were  growing  old  now;  they  had  no  chance  to 
earn  money;  economy  had  crystallized  for  them 
into  the  problem  of  how  long  they  could  make 
things  last.  Kalani  would  be  broken-hearted 
when  his  coat  was  too  old  to  wear  to  church,  for, 
rain  or  sun,  he  faithfully  attended  the  service  at 
the  mouth  of  the  valley  every  Sunday  afternoon, 
walking  several  miles  to  do  so.  While  Nalima 


sewed  and  mused,  Kalani,  wrestling  with  moun 
tain  nahelehele  (wild  growth)  was  thinking 
too.  Perhaps  the  vigor  in  the  arm  that 
drove  the  o-o  into  the  grass  stirred  the 
thought  cells  in  his  head;  the  mental  result, 
however,  was  not  retrospection,  but  determi 
nation  to  do  some  thing  in  the  immediate 
future  to  help  the  present  condition  of 
affairs.  "I  must  have  a  new  coat.  I  cannot  wear 
my  old  one  to  church  any  longer.  I  have  no 
money,  but  perhaps  some  one  will  give  me  clothes 
if  I  ask  for  them.  I  have  never  begged,  and 
Nalima  wouldn't  let  me  beg  now  if  she  knew 
about  it;  I  musn't  tell  her.  It  is  more  than  two 
years  since  I  have  been  beyond  the  church,  but 
there  are  haole  (foreign)  families  living  not  far 
from  there,  and  I'll  go  to  them.  I'll  tell  Nalima 
I'm  going  to  try  to  sell  some  eggs,  we've  got  six 
saved  in  the  pail,  and  perhaps  I  can  buy  some 
salmon  to  bring  home  to  her.  It  would  taste 
good  (ono  loa)  to  her.  I'll  go  tomorrow  morn 
ing."  And,  full  of  his  resolve,  Kalani  shouldered 
his  o-o  and  returned  to  his  hut. 
10 


CHAPTER  II. 


"Ruth,  please  see  who  is  knocking  at  the  side 
door,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton  early  one  morning  in 
the  month  of  August.  "It's  a  native  man,  Mamma," 
said  Ruth  a  moment  later,  "he  wants  to  see  you, 
but  says  he  can  wait  until  you  can  come.  I 
think  he  has  never  been  here  before ;  he  is  very 
old ;  and  he  has  a  small  tin  pail  with  him."  When 
Mrs.  Hamilton  opened  the  door  leading  to  the 
veranda,  the  rising  sun  was  glorifying  a  strip  of 
lawn,  glancing  among  young  orange  trees,  glow 
ing  along  an  hibiscus  hedge,  and  giving  an  effect 
beyond  description  to  a  golden-shower  tree  in 
full  bloom.  On  eitfier  side  of  the  steps  leading 
to  the  drive,  banks  of  ferns  stood  crisp  and  cool. 
The  grass  was  bright  with  fairy  rainbows  strung 
on  drops  of  dew.  "Oh,  what  a  morning  to 


be  alive!"  thought  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "what,  I 
wonder,  will  be  the  first  thing  given  me  to  do 
this  beautiful  day?"  From  the  lower  step  arose, 
at  this  instant,  Kalani.  With  the  grace  and  dig 
nity  natural  to  the  Hawaiian,  he  bared  his  head, 
and,  holding  his  tattered  hat  in  his  hand,  gave  the 
friendly  salutation  "Aloha"  which  Mrs.  Hamilton 
returned  in  as  friendly  a  tone.  Noting  in  an 
instant  the  splendid  proportions  of  his  head,  his 
fine  brow,  and  the  character  which  shone  from 
every  feature  of  his  up-turned  face,  it  was  with 
the  sincerest  interest  that  she  asked  in  Hawaiian, 
"What  can  I  do  for  you,  what  would  you  like?" 
Kalani  took  a  step  sideways  into  the  ferns,  still 
looking  up  into  her  eyes,  and,  with  various  apolo 
getic  expressions  flitting  across  his  face,  finally 
took  hold  of  the  lapel  of  his  coat  with  his  left 
hand  and,  drawing  it  slightly  forward,  said,  "I 
didn't  know  but  perhaps  you  had  a  cast-off  coat 
that  you  would  be  willing  to  give  me.  This  one 
is  very  old  and  has  many  holes.  If  I  had  a 
better  one  I  should  wear  it  to  church  and  that 


12 


would  be  maikai  loa  (very  pleasant),  but,  if  not, 
never  mind,  it  will  be  all  right"  (like  pu,  he  maikai 
no  ia).  Mrs.  Hamilton's  quick  eye  took  in  at 
a  glance  the  entire  suit  in  which  this  son  of  the 
soil  stood.  His  garments  showed  their  many 
patches,  and  she  thought  that  the  colors  of  the 
remnants  still  clinging  together,  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  reproduce  upon  any  painter's  palette. 
Stepping  within  the  bedroom  door  she  found 
Mr.  Hamilton  adjusting  his  necktie  before  the 
mirror.  "George,"  she  said,  "do  you  suppose  you 
have  a  second-hand  coat  I  might  give  this  man? 
He  needs  one  badly  enough.  There  is  something 
singularly  appealing  about  him,  and,  you  can  see 
in  a  moment,  he  is  no  beggar." 

"Yes,  I  guess  so,"  said  Mr.  Hamilton,  first  tak 
ing  a  glance  through  the  door  at  Kalani  and  then 
proceeding  to  his  wardrobe.  Presently  he  returned 
and  handed  his  wife  an  entire  suit  of  grey  woolen 
clothes.  "My,"  said  she,  "he  has  asked  only  for 
a  coat!  I'll  give  them  to  him  one  by  one.  Come 
out  and  enjoy  the  good  time  with  me."  Return- 

13 


ing  to  the  veranda  she  held  up  the  coat.  "Do  you 
suppose  this  will  fit  you?"  she  asked.  "Oh  yes, 
yes!"  was  the  quick  reply,  "you  must  see  for 
yourself,"  and  his  hands  trembled  as  he  carefully 
withdrew  the  delicate  coat  he  wore  from  his 
shoulders.  "See,  see,  it  fits,  it  fits!"  (Kn  no, 
ku  no!)  and  his  hands  stroked  down  the  sleeves, 
and  lovingly  patted  the  pocket  flaps. 

His  expressions  of  delight  and  appreciation 
were  cut  short  by  Mrs.  Hamilton's  holding  up  the 
trousers.  "What  do  you  think  about  these?" 
Kalani  shot  a  lightning  glance  at  Mr.  Hamilton, 
who  stood  on  the  veranda  enjoying  the  scene, 
and  said  "Oh,  yes,  we  are  just  the  same  size." 
"He,"  pointing  to  Mr.  Hamilton,  "isn't  any  big 
ger  than  I  am."  Taking  the  trousers,  the  old  man 
avowed  most  solemnly  that  they  would  be  just 
right  (ku  pono  loa).  "Besides,"  said  he  with  a 
look  of  conscious  pride,  "I've  got  an  old  wife  who 
can  fix  them  if  they  are  not."  So  that  point  was 
settled.  The  vest  was  now  held  up.  "Of  course 
you  don't  want  this,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "it  will 

14 


make  you  too  warm."  "A  vest,  a  vest !"  he  cried, 
"no  it  wont,  oh,  I  shall  be  too  proud  for  anything, 
(hookano  maoli)  to  have  a  vest!" 

All  three  were  laughing  by  this  time,  Kalani 
as  much  as  the  others.  "Dear  me,"  said  Mr. 
Hamilton,  "this  is  getting  interesting.  I  must 
see  if  I  can't  find  him  something  else."  In  a 
moment  he  was  back  with  a  neat,  striped  negligee 
shirt,  which  he  himself  offered  the  old  man.  The 
expression  on  the  shining  face  of  the  native  as  he 
received  this  fresh  gift,  was  something  to  re 
member.  It  was  brother  looking  into  brother's 
face,  with  a  something  too  deep  for  words.  It 
was  an  expression  that  one  would  like  to  meet 
again,  in  the  world  beyond. 

"Let's  give  him  a  hat,"  said  George  Jr.,  who 
had  joined  the  group  on  the  veranda,  "there  are 
a  lot  on  the  hat-tree  to  spare."  The  tattered  hat 
under  Kalani's  arm  had  not  spoken  in  vain.  As 
the  boy  was  searching  for  one,  his  father  cried  to 
him,  "Bring  the  silk  hat  from  the  top  peg."  "No, 
no,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "don't  let  us  spoil  a 

15 


good  thing  by  allowing  the  old  man  to  think  we 
are  making  fun  of  him."  "Fun  of  him !"  said  Mr. 
Hamilton,  "I  tell  you  I  know  what  will  please  his 
soul,  and  it's  a  silk  hat,  now  see  if  it's  not." 
George  first  handed  his  mother  a  brown  derby, 
only  slightly  the  worse  for  wear,  and  then  a  silk 
hat  still  possessed  of  a  good  shine  but  not  the 
most  modern  in  shape.  Having  only  the  first  in 
evidence,  Mrs.  Hamilton  again  addressed  Kalani. 
"Do  you  think  you  could  wear  this  hat?"  "That 
hat  for  me  ?  Oh  how  fine !  Yes,  yes,  I  know- 
here  his  words  failed,  for  his  eyes  had  caught 
sight  of  the  silk  hat,  which  Mr.  Hamilton  was  in 
a  great  hurry  to  prove  would  be  the  climax  of  his 
life.  "Here,  try  this,  I  guess  you  can  make  it 
stick  on,"  he  said.  The  brown  derby  fell  among 
the  ferns,  and  trembling  hands  seized  the  shining 
beaver.  "Auzvc,  amve!  heaha  keia!  ka  nani! 
ka  maikai!  Auwe!  ka  lokomaikai!"5  Over  the 
shining  bald  head  it  was  pressed,  coaxed,  urged 


5     "Oh  my!  oh  my!  what's  this!  how  splendid,  how 
fine  !     Ah,  what  generosity !" 


16 


and  settled,  and  it  zvas  a  tight  fit.  "There,"  said 
Mr.  Hamilton,  "I  told  you  so,  he  would  wear  that 
hat  if  it  killed  him,  rather  than  not  take  it  when 
he  had  the  chance !  Of  course  he  never  had  a  silk 
hat  before  in  his  life." 

The  old  man  was  speechless  and  voluble  by 
turns.  His  good  fortune  choked  him,  but  the 
joys  of  possession  ran  over  his  eyes  and  sparkled 
in  every  square  inch  of  his  honest  face.  Ruth 
brought  some  wrapping  paper,  and  Mrs.  Hamil 
ton  helped  fold  the  articles  for  easy  carrying.  "But 
my  hat,  how  am  I  going  to  carry  my  hat?"  he 
wailed.  "I'll  wear  this  one,"  putting  the  derby  on 
his  head,  "but  this  papale  kilika  (silk  hat)  is  to 
wear  to  church,  and  how  am  I  to  carry  it  home?" 
Another  paper  was  brought,  and,  with  twine,  a  se 
cure  package  was  made,  with  a  loop  to  slip  over 
his  arm.  Then  a  fresh  idea  came  to  the  old  man. 
Conscious  of  the  humor  of  the  whole  situation,  he 
said,  "You  have  left  me  only  one  thing  to  ask  for," 
and  he  raised  a  foot  to  which  was  bound  a  much 
worn  shoe.  "Shoes!"  cried  Ruth,  "May  I  find 

17 


some,  Mamma  ?"  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell  it  she  was  back  with  a  pair  of  half-worn  bro- 
gans  that  were  more  beautiful  in  Kalani's  eyes 
than  the  handsomest  ten-dollar  boots  that  ever 
came  out  of  a  shoe  emporium.  Now  there  really 
seemed  to  be  nothing  left  but  for  the  old  man  to 
go,  but  he  had  something  to  say. 

Lifting  his  happy  face,  he  said,  "You  have  been 
very  good  to  me.  I  have  no  money  to  buy  such 
things  for  myself,  and  I  was  going  to  ask  only  for 
a  coat.  I  live  in  Palolo  valley,  and  have  no  means 
of  earning  anything.  I  brought  a  few  eggs  with 
me,  thinking  I  could  change  them  for  something 
to  take  back  to  my  old  wife,  but  now  I  would  like 
to  give  them  to  you."  He  slipped  the  cover  from 
his  pail  and  held  up  to  Mrs.  Hamilton's  view  the 
half  dozen  small  eggs.  Tears  filled  her  eyes  at  his 
honest,  dignified  independence.  "No,  no,"  said 
she,  slipping  a  coin  in  among  the  eggs,  "get 
something  for  the  wife  with  the  eggs,  and  give 
her  our  aloha." 

At  last  with  many  an  aloha  and  auzve  of  bene- 

18 


diction,  Kalani  betook  himself  and  his  new  wealth 
down  the  drive,  and  the  Hamilton  family 
answered  the  breakfast  bell. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  barking  of  a  small  dog  awoke  Nalima 
from  a  nap.  Sitting  up,  she  saw  at  a  little  dis 
tance  down  the  valley,  someone  coming  up  the 
path.  At  first  she  thought  it  was  Kalani,  then 
saw  that  it  was  a  haole  hat  that  appeared  and  dis 
appeared  among  the  bushes.  "Auzve,  it's  some 
trespasser  that's  come  up  here  because  Kalani  is 
away,  what  shall  I  do?"  While  she  yet  feared, 
the  figure  stood  at  the  door  and  Kalani's  voice  re 
assured  her. 

We  may  not  repeat  all  that  Nalima  listened  to, 
for  in  another  tongue  than  the  Hawaiian,  its  flavor 
would  be  much  impaired.  The  simple  souls  ac 
cepted  the  great  good  fortune  of  the  suit  of 
clothes,  the  shoes,  and  the  hats,  with  childlike 
simplicity.  The  long  and  early  walk  had  given 
20 


Kalani  a  hearty  appetite,  which  the  sour  poi, 
spiced  with  a  bit  of  salt  salmon  from  the  Pake 
(Chinese)  store  at  Moiliili,  soon  appeased.  Na- 
lima  produced  a  few  mountain  apples  she  had 
gathered  during  his  absence,  and  they  felt  they 
had  feasted  like  chiefs  of  old. 

Nor  can  we  tell  of  the  profound  sensation  pro 
duced  in  the  little  district  church  the  following 
Sabbath,  when  Kalani  entered  dressed  in  his  new 
suit,  and  crowned  with  his  silk  hat.  This  latter 
he  wore  until  he  took  his  seat,  so  that  all  might  see 
it ;  then  he  carefully  placed  it  on  the  bench  beside 
him.  It  seemed  as  if  the  possession  of  this  silk  hat 
bade  fair  to  restore  to  him  his  prestige  of  the  long 
ago.  That  he  should  have  been  in  such  high  favor 
with  anyone,  as  to  receive  such  a  gift,  surely 
argued  greatly  for  his  birthright,  and  for  the 
heritage  of  his  youth,  of  which  the  younger  gen 
eration  had  not  been  aware.  Certain  it  was  that 
soon  after  this  Kalani  was  made  a  deacon  in  the 
church,  and  other  honors  were  accorded  him  in 
the  months  that  followed.  In  the  little  hut  in  the 


valley,  the  driest  corner  was  given  to  the  precious 
hat,  and  Nalima  gently  fondled  it  as  she  smoothed 
it  again  and  again,  hoping  to  preserve  its  shining 
gloss  indefinitely.  It  was  not  pride  but  satisfac 
tion  in  this  special  possession  that  filled  Kalani's 
soul.  He  often  removed  the  paper  in  which  it  was 
kept,  and,  holding  it  upon  his  hand,  would  relate 
to  Nalima  the  experiences  of  that  momentous 
morning  walk,  when  he  became  possessed  of  this 
treasure.  And  Nalima  never  tired  of  listening  to 
the  tale,  though  she  had  long  known  it  by  heart. 
In  closing  he  always  said,  "The  best  of  it  all  was, 
I  know  they  were  glad  to  give  it  to  me,  and,  Na 
lima,  you  know  what  to  do  with  it  if  I  die  first." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"Mamma,"  cried  Ruth  Hamilton,  reining  her 
horse  beside  her  mother's  porch  one  afternoon  a 
year  later,  "George  and  I  have  been  for  a  ride 
out  to  Wailupe  and  back,  and  as  we  came  near 
the  Palolo  Valley  road  on  our  way  home,  we  saw 
a  funeral  procession  coming  down.  It  passed  the 
corner  just  as  we  reached  it,  and,  what  do  you 
think!  On  the  top  of  the  coffin  was  a  silk  hat, 
and  George  declares  it's  the  same  one  Papa  gave 
that  old  man  that  came  here  one  morning  a  good 
while  ago !" 

Even  so,  according  to  the  customs  which  still 
obtain  in  many  lands,  and  which  have  been 
handed  down  through  the  centuries,  of  burying 
one's  choicest  possessions  with  the  body  of  the 
deceased,  Kalani  and  his  silk  hat  were  not  parted 

in  the  grave. 

EMMA  L.  DILLINGHAM. 

23 


of 


E  stood  shivering  on  the  brink.  At 
our  very  feet  was  the  crater  of 
Haleakala,  the  House  of  the  sun, 
but  that  luminary  had  gone  to  his 
other  realms  and  left  his  dwel 
ling  dark,  unfathomable  and 
void.  No  voice  of  nature  was  there,  no  mur 
muring  breeze,  no  note  of  bird,  no  spirit  of  man 
or  of  God  moved  in  those  lone  and  abysmal 
depths.  Only  the  brilliant  stars  kept  watch 
above,  and  they  were  immeasurable  miles  away. 
We,  who  stood  there  in  the  cool  morning  air 
did  not  add  in  any  way  to  the  majesty  of  the 
scene,  wrapped  as  we  were  in  blankets — red, 
white  and  gray. 

24 


"Like  lost  spirits  waiting1  for  waftage  to  the 
other  shore,"  remarked  the  tourist. 

"I  am  sure  I  have  lost  my  spirits,"  said  a  shiver 
ing  unfortunate,  "I  think  the  guide  stole  them." 

"It  seems  to  me  we  look  more  like  a  group  of 
savage  Apaches  on  a  bleak  mountain  summit 
sketched  by  Remington,"  suggested  the  artist  of 
the  crowd. 

"Ah,  there  she  blows,"  cried  the  first  speaker 
pointing  toward  the  east  where  a  shaft  of  light 
had  just  shot  from  the  dark  sea  through  the  gray 
clouds.  We  all  turned  and  looked  except  the 
newly  married  couple.  They  gazed  into  each 
others  eyes  as  was  their  custom. 

"I  am  so  cold,  dearest,"  she  murmured. 

I  supposed  he  furnished  her  with  a  share  of  his 
red  blanket  though  I  was  not  watching. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  the  humorist, 
"the  grand  cyclorama  of  sunrise  on  Haleakala  is 
about  to  open,  and  as  a  preliminary,  I  move  to 
throw  the  poet  over  the  brink  as  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice  to  the  God  of  the  Sun,  who  appears  to 

25 


be  shocked  by  our  appearance;  and  besides  the 
poet  will  attempt  to  describe  this  scene  and  he 
can't." 

"Describe  nothing,"  retorted  the  poet,  "my 
teeth  are  chattering  so  my  tongue  can't."  "Let's 
throw  the  guide  over,  that  will  propitiate  us  any 
way." 

But  William,  the  guide,  looked  so  calm  and 
peaceful  as  he  sat  with  his  back  against  a  rock 
smoking  a  short  black  pipe,  that  we  decided  net 
to  disturb  him. 

Meanwhile  the  sun  rose.  He  has  done  this  so 
often  that  it  has  become  a  matter  of  course  with 
him.  But  rarely  has  he  risen  surrounded  with 
such  pomp  of  circumstance  and  kingly  glory.  It 
might  well  have  been  his  coronation  morning, 
with  clouds  of  heavy  gorgeousness  upon  his  shin 
ing  shoulders,  and  the  quick  heralds  of  light  sent 
to  glorify  the  distant  mountain  heights  and  to 
awaken  the  dark  and  slumbering  sea.  We  seem 
ed  to  be  moving  in  worlds  unrealized  as  the  light 
swept  across  the  reach  of  clouds  at  our  feet, 

26 


broken  as  a  sea  of  tumbled  ice,  while  around  the 
outer  rim  rose  forms  strange  or  fantastic,  the 
clouds  shaping  themselves  into  huge  animals  or 
rounding  into  noble  palaces  or  turning  into  lofty 
pinnacles,  and  on  every  one  the  sun  had  set  a 
crown  of  flame.  The  light  with  glowing  hands 
pulled  slowly  back  the  shadows  from  the  crater 
until  it  stood  clearly  revealed  in  its  silence  and 
vastness.  From  West  Maui  to  Molokai  stretch 
ed  a  heavy  causeway  of  cloud  beneath  which  lay 
the  sea  dark  and  glowing  like  polished  porphyry. 
The  sun  was  above  the  cloud  and  the  common 
light  of  day  lay  round  us. 

"Tis  past,  the  visionary  splendor  fades,"  re 
marked  the  poet,  but  the  remark  was  not  original 
with  him. 

Our  party  now  adjourned  to  the  stone  house 
on  the  summit  known  as  Cruyealece  and  after 
drinking  some  hot  coffee  and  warming  ourselves 
around  the  open  fire,  the  humorist  and  myself 
testified  to  our  intention  of  taking  William  and 
walking  down  into  the  crater.  They  all  said  that 
27 


we  were  decided  idiots,  and  they  would  take  their 
exercise  out  in  watching  us.  The  newly  married 
couple  said  nothing,  but  looked  as  I  have  stated. 

"I  think  that  haole  can't  go  down,"  remarked 
William,  pointing  to  the  humorist.  "His  legs  too 
thin,  they  break." 

We  all  laughed  except  the  humorist  who  could 
not  see  the  joke. 

"Break!  you  fat  rascal,"  he  exclaimed,  "before 
I  am  done  with  you,  you  won't  be  anything  but 
an  animated  brown  shadow." 

With  sarcastic  comments  which  did  not  disturb 
our  serenity  and  much  waving  of  handkerchiefs 
we  began  the  descent.  We  went  down  at  a  very 
rapid  gait,  the  loose  dirt  smoking  at  our  heels 
and  the  canteen  thumping  against  William's  fat 
sides.  In  a  half  hour  we  reached  the  floor  of  the 
crater  and  stopped  to  take  breath.  After  William 
had  lighted  his  pipe  we  went  on  our  way.  First 
across  the  black  lava  flows  and  broken  aa.  In 
the  days  of  its  storm  and  stress  this  had  been  the 
hot  and  glowing  life-blood  of  the  great  volcano, 

28 


but  now  it  was  cold,  black  and  congealed.  Be 
yond  the  flows  we  came  to  long  stretches  of  vol 
canic  sands  and  the  lofty  cones  rose  above  us,  so 
perfect  in  form  that  it  seemed  the  slightest  breath 
of  air  would  disturb  their  symmetry.  Their  color 
ing  was  wonderful,  velvety  black,  gray  and  red 
shading  into  one  another.  And  through  the  vast 
silence  the  silvery  notes  of  a  bird  floated  down  to 
us  from  the  far  battlements  of  the  crater. 

After  a  toilsome  tramp  we  reached  the  other 
side  where  the  trees  come  down  the  slope,  and 
throwing  ourselves  down  in  the  shade  we  looked 
across  the  burning  plain  and  enjoyed  the  cool 
ness  by  way  of  contrast  as  we  smoked  and  took 
chance  shots  at  stray  goats  coming  down  the 
ridge. 

"Do  you  know  any  stories  or  legends  connect 
ed  with  Haleakala,  William?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  I  know  one,  my  grandma  always  telling." 

"That's   right,   William,"   said   the   humorist, 

"take  down  your  harp  from  the  weeping  lauhala 

29 


trees,  and  sing  to  us  of  the  departed  glories  of 
your  race." 

"You  see  my  grandma  great  old  woman,  she 
kahuna,  live  at  Hana.  I  hear  this  story  every 
since  I  was  keiki.  She  says  it  comes  down  from 
some  old  poets." 

And  after  gazing  across  the  crater  for  a  while 
William  began  in  his  native  tongue: 

"In  former  times  from  the  distant  Islands  of 
the  southern  sea  came  a  strange  people  to  Ha 
waii.  On  their  spears  were  the  great  sharks' 
teeth,  and  their  tabu  staffs  were  crowned  with 
kapa  black  or  white.  They  were  great  of  statue 
and  became  the  mois  of  Hawaii.  Then  followed 
a  people  from  beyond  the  rising  sun.  Small  and 
broad  they  were,  and  came  in  ships  such  as  were 
never  before  seen  in  Hawaiian  seas.  But  stranger 
than  these  peoples  was  an  alien  race  which  came 
from  out  the  distant  north  from  whence  the  great 
trees  come  floating  down  upon  the  rivers  of  the 
sea,  and  the  tradewinds  take  their  rise,  which 
come  to  cool  our  valleys  and  the  burning  sea. 

30 


It  was  in  the  days  when  Hua,  the  impious  king 
reigned  in  Hana,  on  the  third  day  before  the  feast 
of  Lono  in  the  early  morning  when  the  fishermen 
were  returning,  six  canoes  came  from  out  a  mist 
that  floated  on  the  sea,  and  moved  quickly  in 
even  line  toward  the  curving  beach.  The  night 
before  the  omens  had  portended  some  dire  event. 
The  sacrifices  had  risen  from  the  blood  stained 
lele  and  stalked  beyond  the  heiau  gate,  while, 
from  the  heights  of  Haleakala,  issued  the  groan- 
ings  of  the  Thunder  God.  As  the  aliens  strode 
upon  the  beach  they  were  taller  than  our  tallest 
chiefs.  Their  skins  were  red  as  Pele  blood  that 
beats  within  our  heart,  but  their  eyes  were  black 
as  is  that  blood  when  it  cools  upon  the  mountain 
sides,  yet  from  them  shot  fire  as  the  lightning 
from  the  thunder  clouds.  Their  heads  were  en 
circled  by  high  feather  leis  which  swept  back 
wards  almost  to  the  ground.  Feathers  were  they 
grey  and  white  such  as  never  grew  upon  the  birds 
that  fly  within  the  forests  or  float  upon  the  sea. 

The  King  took  the  strangers  to  his  royal  hale 

31 


and  gave  them  food  and  drink.  There  was  a 
woman  with  them,  the  wife  of  their  great  chief. 
She  appeared  like  a  prophetess,  only  young.  Her 
skin  was  pale  as  the  white  sea  foam.  Her  dark 
eyes  seemed  to  gaze  afar  off,  and  her  smile  was 
like  the  flash  of  sun  upon  the  sea.  When  Hua 
saw  her  he  desired  her  for  himself  and  his  women 
became  as  nothing  in  his  eyes.  Therefore  Hua 
urged  the  redmen  to  make  their  home  near  his 
hale  and  they  should  be  aliis  in  the  land  though 
the  priest  Luahomoe,  warned  the  king  that  their 
coming  would  cast  a  shadow  on  his  life.  But  the 
strangers  would  not  dwell  with  the  king  nor  with 
his  people,  but  made  their  home  far  up  on  the 
slope  of  Haleakala  where  the  gray  clouds  ever 
hang  and  the  white  rain  falls  silently  to  the 
ground. 

Sometimes  when  the  feather  hunters  sought 
the  mamo  and  the  oo  upon  the  mountains  they 
would  see  a  figure  of  one  of  these  men  standing 
on  the  highest  mountain  peak  against  the  black 
clouds  as  though  carved  of  stone,  then,  suddenly 

32 


he  would  raise  his  arms  towards  the  sky  and  a  cry 
would  come  quick  as  a  javlin  piercing  to  the 
heart,  or,  they  would  hear  a  rustling  in  the  ferns 
and  see  a  shape  like  a  red  moo  moving  through 
the  green,  but  whence  it  came  or  whither  it  went 
they  could  never  tell. 

It  chanced  that  on  a  certain  day  their  great 
chief  came  down  to  the  plain  and  went  to  see  the 
king  who  was  stretched  at  ease  in  front  of  his  hale 
on  a  kapa  mat,  while  the  trade  winds  waved  the 
falling  branches  of  the  kou  trees  like  green  kahilis 
above  his  kingly  head.  The  great  chief  stood  and 
would  not  sit  upon  the  matting  brought  by  the 
attendant.  Then  the  king  made  a  sign  to  one  of 
his  retainers  who  in  a  short  time,  brought  several 
maidens  with  flowers  decking  their  dark  hair,  and 
ornaments  of  pearl  and  shells  upon  their  ankles 
and  their  arms.  They  were  the  fairest  in  Hua's 
court.  The  King  waived  his  hand  toward  where 
they  stood  and  said: 

"Take  these,  O  chief,  they  are  yours,  but  let 
the  white  queen  dwell  with  me." 

33 


Then  the  great  chief  folded  his  arms  and  look 
ed  down  at  the  king  while  Hua's  guard  gathered 
close  around  him,  for  there  was  evil  in  the  great 
chief's  eye,  and  the  king  was  a  very  little  man  be 
fore  him.  Then  he  grunted  'Umph'  and  turning 
left  the  presence  of  the  king  and  went  quickly  to 
his  mountain  home. 

But  Hua's  heart  was  hot  within  his  breast,  so 
he  vowed  to  take  the  great  chief's  life  and  bring 
the  white  queen  to  his  royal  hale.  Forthwith  he 
sent  his  lunapais  into  every  valley  and  along  the 
sea  to  summon  the  alii  and  their  warriors,  but  a 
messenger  came  the  following  day  from  the  great 
chief  saying: 

"I  know  your  plotting  and  your  heart  O  King. 
We  will  make  an  end  of  this  matter.  Place  your 
kingdom  against  the  possession  of  the  white 
queen.  Choose  your  mightest  warrior,  and  I  will 
meet  him.  If  I  die,  take  the  white  queen,  but  if 
your  warrior  dies  your  people  and  your  lands  are 
mine,  O  King.  But  this  one  condition,  I  will 

34 


choose  the  place  where  this   combat  is  to  be 
fought." 

The  crafty  Hua  thought  within  his  heart,  "I 
will  accept  this  challenge,  and  if  my  champion 
fall  my  warriors  will  surround  him  and  his  men 
and  slay  them.  Then  the  white  queen  shall  not 
escape  me.  So  he  assented.  The  messenger  then 
took  the  king  and,  pointing  where  the  clouds 
were  flowing  through  the  Kaupo  gap,  he  said: 
"In  yonder  hollow  mountain  fights  the  chief." 

The  king's  heart  was  troubled  then,  but  he  dare 
not  return  upon  his  spoken  word.  Among  the 
alii  there  was  none  so  tall  and  powerful  as  the 
young  Kuala.  In  all  the  sports  of  peace  he  was 
pre-eminent.  While  in  war  none  would  hurl  the 
spear  so  swiftly,  nor  use  the  javlin  with  such 
skilled  hands,  and  when  he  whirled  the  battle  axe 
above  his  head  none  could  see  it  for  the  speed. 
He  was  chosen  champion  by  the  King. 

For  many  days  the  priests  consulted  the  oracles 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  sacred  anu,  but  the 

35 


omens  puzzled  then,  and  they  said  the  Gods  were 
not  at  peace  among  themselves. 

It  was  on  the  evening"  before  the  day  just  as  the 
sun  sank  into  the  sea,  there  came  a  cloud,  blacker 
than  the  kapa  for  the  dead,  moving  slowly  above 
the  sea,  and  the  gray  rain  following  as  a  veil  be 
hind  it.  The  air  around  was  very  still.  Then, 
suddenly  the  cloud  turned  to  crimson  and  the 
mountain  and  the  thousands  on  the  beach  were 
reddened  as  though  by  the  glow  from  a  great  fire. 
All  were  frightened,  but  Kuala  only  laughed  and 
said,  "If  it  storms  now  it  will  be  cooler  on  the 
morrow."  The  old  priest  shook  his  head  and 
said,  "My  son,  that  mountain  height  will  be  plenty 
cool  enough  for  thee." 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  destined  day  the 
hosts  of  Maui  were  gathered  in  the  arms  of  the 
great  mountain.  Foremost  stood  the  King. 
Around  his  shoulders  fell  the  yellow  mamo  cloak, 
and  on  his  head  a  helmet  yellow  as  his  robe  save 
its  crest  which  was  red  with  the  feathers  of  the 
scarlet  bird.  Behind  him  stood  the  priests  in 

36 


feather  cloaks  red  as  the  blood  of  their  sacrifices, 
while  in  a  half  circle  rose  the  hundred  alii  in 
cloaks  mingled  with  the  royal  yellow  and  the 
priestly  red.  As  the  sunlight  shone  upon  them 
they  were  in  form  and  color  as  the  rainbows  bent 
over  the  valleys  green,  and  on  the  rounded  hills 
of  sand  above  them  stood  the  warriors  thicker 
than  the  leaves  upon  the  forest  trees,  and  their 
thousand  spears  made  the  red  hills  black.  A  mur 
mur  ran  amongst  them  as  when  the  voice  of  the 
sea  comes  on  the  south  wind  and  the  sky  is  gray. 
The  priests  chanted  in  low  tones,  the  meles  of 
Kuala's  race,  and  waved  their  arms  as  they  sang 
of  heroic  deeds.  Kuala  stood  quietly  by  the  king 
and  looked  across  the  lava  plain  where,  in  the  dis 
tance,  could  be  seen  the  red  men  moving,  one 
behind  the  other,  in  a  line.  They  came  swiftly. 
When  they  reached  a  hundred  paces  from  where 
stood  the  king,  they  stopped  and  the  white  queen 
stood  forth  before  them.  Her  color  was  no  long 
er  as  the  pale  foam,  for  the  blood  beat  quickly  in 
her  cheeks,  and  she  breathed  as  though  she  had 

37 


been  running,  while  her  eyes  shone  so  that  even 
Hua  turned  his  glance  away.  The  great  chief 
stood  near  her  but  impassive  as  though  carved  of 
stone.  Behind  them  the  warriors  stood  lean  and 
red  with  strange  colors  on  their  faces,  and  their 
heads  were  crowned  with  warlike  feathers.  They 
moved  not,  nor  looked  upon  the  warriors  on  the 
hills,  regardless  of  them  as  though  they  were  but 
crawling  ants.  Then  the  messenger  of  the  chief 
advanced  across  the  sand  and  stood  before  the 
king. 

"O  King,  the  chief  is  ready  now  to  offer  the 
victim  chosen  by  you  for  the  sacrifice." 

Hua  replied,  "My  champion  is  here  at  my 
right  hand,  and  to-night  we  will  wrap  your  chief 
in  the  funeral  kapa,  and  the  black  sharks  will  dine 
upon  his  flesh."  He  would  have  spoken  more  but 
the  messenger  turned  upon  his  heel  and  left  the 
king. 

Kuala  threw  aside  his  feathered  cloak  and  ad 
vanced  slowly  towards  the  level  sand.  Then 
there  rose  a  shout  from  the  hosts  upon  the  hill 

38 


louder  than  the  thunder  of  the  great  waves  falling 
on  the  beach,  and  the  priests  chanted  in  loud 
tones  beating  wildly  on  their  sacred  drums.  The 
great  chief  advanced  to  meet  his  foe  but  stopped, 
and  with  arms  outstretched  towards  the  sun 
gazed  straight  into  its  burning  light  while  his 
voice  reached  to  the  remotest  warrior  on  the  hills, 
though  none  could  understand  the  words,  so 
strange  they  were.  Then  he  turned  and  faced 
Kuala,  who  stood  twenty  paces  distant.  All  was 
quiet  as  is  the  air  before  a  coming  storm.  Kuala 
slowly  raised  his  spear  above  his  head  and  bend 
ing  quickly  forward  sent  it  with  such  force  that 
none  could  see  it  in  the  air,  but  the  great  chief 
was  quicker  than  the  spear  and  it  went  past  him 
deep  into  the  sand.  His  spear  flew  so  close  to 
Kuala  that  he  felt  the  wind  of  its  speed  upon  his 
cheek.  The  second  time  they  raised  their  arms 
together  and  send  the  weapons  whirling  through 
the  air.  The  warrior's  spear  struck  some  feathers 
from  the  great  chief's  head,  whose  weapon  went 
straight  to  Kuala's  heart,  but  before  it  touched 

39 


his  body  Kuala  caught  it  with  his  hands  and  turn 
ed  its  course  aside,  but  staggered  backwards  with 
the  force.  Then  the  warriors  cried  in  lamenta 
tion  on  the  hills,  but  when  they  saw  he  was  un 
hurt  a  shout  arose  louder  than  the  first.  The  last 
spear  Kuala  poised  above  his  head  was  of  polish 
ed  koa  tipped  with  ivory,  whose  point  had  been 
dipped  in  Po's  dark  waters,  carrying  death  upon 
its  slightest  touch.  But  it  never  reached  the  red 
chief's  for  the  two  spears  met  in  the  air  with  a 
great  clash  and  fell  broken  on  the  sand.  Then 
the  warriors  rushed  towards  each  other  and  met 
midway  on  the  sands,  their  javelins  clashing  as 
they  met.  Suddenly  the  light  had  faded  while 
gray  clouds  covered  the  crater  as  with  a  roof,  and 
the  white  rain  began  to  fall  thick  and  fast,  lying 
like  white  stars  on  cloaks  of  the  alii  and  of  king. 
Kuala  and  the  great  chief  could  be  dimly  seen  as 
they  whirled  around  each  other  in  the  strife  faster 
than  sea  birds  on  the  wing.  Now  rushing  to 
gether,  now  stepping  quick  aside,  but  Kuala's 
breathing  could  be  heard  by  the  king  and  his  alii 
40 


standing  near;  while  the  great  chief  moved  quick 
er  than  the  red  lightning  from  the  clouds,  without 
a  sound  save  when  his  javelin  struck  the  warriors. 
But  moving  backward  from  Kuala's  rush  his  heel 
struck  upon  a  stone  and  he  swayed  slightly.  Then 
the  warrior's  javelin  tore  his  shoulder  till  the  red 
blood  came.  With  a  cry  that  made  the  king  and 
all  his  followers  shiver  as  with  cold,  he  sprang 
past  Kuala's  javelin  and  fastened  his  teeth  within 
the  flesh  and  his  face  was  like  a  demon  as  he  tore 
the  warrior's  throat,  and  Kuala  fell  slowly  back 
upon  the  sand,  writhing  in  quick  death.  Then 
the  Hulumanu,  standing  by  the  King,  threw  his 
spear  and  pierced  the  great  chief  who  fell  face 
downward  on  the  sand.  From  the  hills  the  war 
riors  came  with  a  mighty  rush  as  slides  the  land 
from  the  steep  mountain  sides,  while  the  red  men 
awaited  their  coming  with  faces  lean  and  fierce. 
They  stood  as  does  a  rock  within  the  sea  when 
the  great  waves  surge  upon  it  fall  back  in  beaten 
foam  until  one  mightier  than  the  rest  o'erwhelms 
it.  So  stood,  so  fell  the  red  men  on  that  day. 

41 


Hua  marked  not  the  raging  of  the  strife  but 
through  the  tumult  pushed  his  way  toward  where 
the  white  queen  stood  alone.  She  fled  with  ex 
ceeding  swiftness,  moving  like  a  shadow  through 
the  falling  mist.  Hua,  in  furious  anger,  raised 
his  spear  and  sent  it  straight  towards  her  as  she 
fled.  Then  the  cloud  grew  thicker  and  closed 
around  them.  Instantly  a  great  cry  was  heard 
and  the  King's  people  found  him  bleeding  on  the 
sand  with  his  spear  point  centering  in  his  breast. 
Whither  the  white  queen  went  none  ever  knew. 
But  sometimes  the  hunter,  following  his  lonely 
trail  through  the  great  mountain,  sees  a  woman's 
form  wrapped  in  moving  mist  and  with  dark  hair 
floating  wildly  around  the  pallor  of  her  face." 

"That's  all,"  said  the  guide. 

"Tnai  s  quite  a  little  lie,  William,"  said  the 
humorist. 

"I  don't  know,  the  old  lady  says  it  is  just  so." 

As  we  started  on  our  homeward  trail  the  clouds 
had  rolled  through  the  two  gaps  and  an  opaque 
mist  lay  around  us.  William  headed  the  proces- 

42 


sion  and  we  had  gone  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
and  were  near  the  great  cone  when  William  stop 
ped  suddenly  and  grasped  the  humorist  by  the 
arm,  almost  white  with  terror. 

"Look!"  he  said,  pointing  towards  where  the 
fog  had  lifted  somewhat,  and  a  current  of  air  was 
whirling  the  mist,  and,  in  the  mist  a  woman's 
form  and  face  could  be  clearly  seen.  I  looked  in 
quiringly  at  the  humorist. 

"Can  such  things  be,"  he  said,  "and  overcome 
us  like  a  summer  cloud,  without  our  special 
wonders  ?" 

"There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth, 
Horatio,"  I  suggested. 

Then  we  went  on  in  silence  through  the  falling 
mist,  but  the  humorist  took  the  lead. 

GEO.  H.  DE  LA  VERGNE. 


43 


Ptkg  C 


R.  DOLE  and  I  were  standing  in 
front  of  one  of  the  caves  which  are 
found  near  the  edges  of  the  bay  of 
Hanauma  which  is  situated  this 
side  of  Koko  Head.  We  were 
there  for  several  days  of  recreation.  Mr.  Dole 
was  glad  to  get  away  from  the  Executive  building, 
where  his  Ministers  had  caged  various  bees  in 
their  bonnets.  These  bees  often  wrangled  with 
the  bees  in  his  own  bonnet,  and  by  temporarily 
separating  them,  the  different  bees  ameliorated 
their  buzzing,  and  a  general  rest  prevailed.  Mr. 
Dole  said  he  referred  to  take  recreation  with  one 


44 


who  had  outgrown  the  bee-hive  age  and  the  age 
of  other  annoying  human  devices. 

"Do  you  see  that  flat  stone?"  I  asked,  pointing 
to  one  that  lay  under  some  lantana  bushes,  and 
was  partially  concealed  by  the  sand  and  just  be 
yond  the  reach  of  the  surf. 

"I  see  it,"  said  Mr.  Dole.  "Do  you  think  that 
some  person  with  a  bee  in  his  bonnet  has  been 
around?  Has  the  stone  a  story?" 

"Well,"  I  said,  "that  stone  belonged  to  the 
foundation  of  a  house  which  Peleg  Chapman  built 
away  back  in  the  'thirties.'  " 

"Tell  me  the  story,  said  Mr.  Dole  and  he  sat 
down  on  the  grass,  as  if  it  were  his  Cabinet,  and 
stretched  his  legs  out  towards  the  much  sound 
ing  sea. 

I  then  told  him  the  story  as  I  had  obtained  it 
from  the  most  authentic  sources,  included  in 
which  were  some  scraps  in  Peleg  Chapman's 
handwriting. 

Peleg's  father,  Silas  Chapman,  was  a  poor  but 
honest  farmer  who  lived  in  Stockbridge,  Massa- 

45 


chusetts,  near  the  State  line.  He  had  been  emi 
nently  successful  in  achieving  poverty,  which  he 
shared  generously  with  his  wife  and  sons. 
Though  mentally  dull  in  most  matters,  he  pos 
sessed  a  rare  gift  for  training  animals  of  all  kinds. 
He  was  a  master  of  those  inarticulate  sounds, 
and  musical  notes  which  curiously  convey  ideas 
to  animals.  He  talked  with  his  dogs  and  cats, 
and  made  them  useful.  His  trained  squirrels 
brought  him  abundance  of  nuts,  and  his  trained 
robins  brought  him  cherries  without  injuring 
them.  His  cows,  pigs,  and  chickens  did  curious 
tricks,  and  when  gathered  together  in  the  barn 
yard,  under  his  voice  and  eye,  were  more  orderly 
than  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  These 
useful  animals  did  much  to  relieve  the  family 
poverty.  The  collie  dogs  stole  watermelons  and 
rolled  them  home,  and  the  tame  crows  supplied 
the  cattle  with  ripe  corn  from  the  neighbors' 
fields. 

Peleg  inherited  from  his  father  this  singular 
46 


gift  of  training  animals,  and  he  had  listened  to 
his  luminous  expositions  of  the  subject. 

"Peleg,"  he  said,  "all  an'mals  think.  Ef  you 
only  larn  how  they  think,  you  ken  do  anything 
with  'em.  Each  on  'em  has  a  little  different  way 
of  working  his  gumption,  but  you  kinder  sit  along 
side  'on  'em,  get  to  communin'  with  'em  in  a  slow 
fashion,  and  you'l  find  'em  ekal  to  human  crit 
ters." 

Peleg  in  due  time  became  more  skillful  than  his 
father,  in  training  animals.  He  caught  a  young 
eagle  over  in  Lenox,  and  trained  him  to  relieve 
the  family  poverty  by  stealing  chickens  over  in 
York  State.  The  eagle  was  not  morally  very 
strong,  and  often  brought  home  the  tough 
roosters,  after  eating  the  tender  chickens. 

One  day,  when  Peleg  was  away,  the  eagle  being 
in  a  contrary  mood,  seized  Silas  Chapman's  Sun 
day  coat,  and  flying  away  with  it  dropped  it  into 
the  Housatonic  river.  When  Peleg  reached  home, 
his  father  told  him  that  the  eagle  had  done  a  mean 
job,  and  that  he  must  pay  for  the  stolen  coat. 

47 


Peleg  refused  on  the  ground  that  animals  had  no 
morals. 

"Dad,"  he  said,  "you  be  livin'  off  them  thievin' 
dogs  and  birds."  Then  said  his  father :  "I  guess 
Peleg  you  and  me  has  got  to  have  some  interestin' 
conversation  in  the  barn,  this  evenin'." 

Peleg  acted  promptly  on  this  suggestion.  At 
four  o'clock,  with  a  small  sum  of  money,  he 
secretly  went  to  the  station,  and  boarded  the  Bos 
ton  express.  He  left  a  note  to  his  mother  saying 
he  was  going  off  and  his  dad  might  lick  the  eagle 
if  he  caught  him. 

On  reaching  Boston,  he  wandered  about  until 
he  reached  the  Frog  pond  in  the  Common.  He 
Lad  often  heard  that  its  waters  were  sacred  in 
tne  eyes  of  every  Bostonian.  Feeling  much  de 
pressed  he  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  copy  of  the 
Wesminster  Catechism,  which  every  child  studied 
in  those  days,  and  by  accident  glanced  over  the 
rough  wood  cuts  of  Biblical  incidents.  His  eye 
fell  on  that  of  a  very  stiff  looking  whale,  with  a 

48 


very  stiff  looking  Jonah  in  front  of  it,  waiting 
with  a  very  resigned  look  to  be  swallowed. 

While  he  was  getting  some  comfort  out  of 
Jonah's  resigned  look,  a  sea-faring  man  took  a 
seat  by  his  side,  on  the  public  bench,  and  after 
glancing  at  the  picture  in  Peleg's  hand,  remarked : 
"purty  stiff  lookin'  whale  I  guess." 

"Ever  see'd  one?"  asked  Peleg. 

"Caught  plenty  on  'em/'  said  the  sailor.  "Been 
around  the  Horn  and  up  in  the  Artie  for  sperm 
and  right  whales.  Plenty  of  lay  money  too. 
Down  in  Wyhee  plenty  of  gals  and  bananas." 

"Coin'  again?"  asked  Peleg. 

"Yes,  next  week,"  said  the  sailor. 

"Take  me?"  asked  Peleg. 

"Guess  you  can  ship  on  the  Julian,"  said  the 
sailor.  "Fresh  fo'cas'le  hand  gets  one  hundred 
and  fortieth  lay.  That's  his  share  of  all  the  oil 
and  bone  the  vessel  takes  in  her  cruise.  Have 
good  luck,  plenty  of  money,"  said  the  sailor. 

Peleg  glanced  at  the  stiff  figure  of  the  whale, 
closed  the  book,  and  said,  "I'm  goinV 

49 


On  reaching  New  Bedford,  he  shipped  on  the 
Julian,  signed  ship's  articles,  and  went  on  board 
with  a  new  kit.  The  vessel  sailed  for  the  Pacific 
and  the  Arctic  ocean. 

For  a  few  days,  Peleg  would  have  been  willing 
to  return  home  and  take  the  vicarious  punishment 
for  the  eagle's  sins  rather  than  sleep  in  a  fo'cas'le 
bunk.  But  the  ship  bowled  along  towards  the 
equator,  and  the  carefully  expurgated  yarns  of 
the  crew  kindled  his  enthusiasm. 

He  caught  and  trained  some  sea  gulls  to  fetch 
fish  for  the  cabin  and  for'rad  deck  so  that  his 
shipmates,  instead  of  calling  him  a  blankety  land 
lubber,  took  pains  to  teach  him  the  art  of  handling 
ropes,  and  chewing  old  plug  tobacco,  and  reading 
the  sulphurous  marine  literature  of  the  age. 

The  Julian  took  five  hundred  barrels  of  sperm 
oil  off  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  and  finally 
dropped  her  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Honolulu, 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  wood  and  water  and 
fresh  provisions. 

On  going  ashore,  Peleg  was  amazed  at  the 

so 


abundance  of  bananas  of  which  he  was  very  fond, 
but  for  which  the  price  at  home  was  one  shilling 
each.  As  he  gorged  himself,  he  began  to  think 
of  exchanging  his  marine  interest  in  the  Pacific 
for  a  residence  on  the  Islands.  He  felt  justified 
in  deserting,  because  the  air  of  the  forecastle  was 
bad,  and  the  captain  had  refused  to  reconstruct 
the  vessel  and  place  saloon  cabins  at  the  disposal 
of  the  crew.  He  obtained  from  Mellish  &  Co., 
ship  chandlers,  an  advance  of  $300  on  his  lay, 
and  deserted.  He  concealed  himself  at  Waima- 
nalo,  until  the  vessel  sailed  for  the  Arctic,  and 
then  keeping  out  of  the  way  of  the  native  police 
or  "kikos,"  he  crossed  over  into  Manoa  valley  and 
followed  the  coast  line  from  Waikiki  towards 
Koko  Head.  Finding  the  secluded  bay  of  Ha- 
nauma  he  remained  there.  It  was  surrounded  by 
a  high  ridge,  as  it  was  part  of  an  extinct  crater, 
and  one  side  of  it  had  fallen  in  towards  the  ocean, 
so  that  it  was  almost  land  locked,  and  the  surf 
and  heavy  seas  rushed  through  the  narrow 
opening. 

Si 


With  the  aid  of  a  native,  he  laid  a  foundation 
of  flat  stones  and  built  upon  them  a  thatched 
house.  The  native  brought  him  fruit  and  vegeta 
bles,  and  he  caught  an  abundance  of  fish. 

While  the  Julian  was  off  the  island  of  Juan  Fer 
nandez,  Peleg  had  studied  the  numerous  sharks 
found  there.  He  discovered  that  the  many  rows 
of  teeth  in  the  mouth  of  the  female  shark  were 
flexible,  and  rested  on  elastic  gums.  They  could 
be  laid  flat,  at  the  will  of  the  shark.  The  reason 
for  this  curious  arrangement  was  this.  When 
ever  the  young  sharks  are  in  danger,  the  mother 
shark  opens  her  mouth,  lays  down  her  teeth,  and 
the  young  sharks  pass  over  without  danger,  into 
a  pouch  in  her  body  where  they  remain  until  the 
danger  is  over.  He  had  counted  as  many  as 
seventy,  each  of  them  about  three  feet  long,  at 
one  time  diving  into  their  mother's  mouth,  and 
emerging  after  the  danger  was  over.  He  remem 
bered  that  Prof.  Aggasiz  or  some  noted  naturalist, 
had  suggested  that  in  some  remote  period  a 
female  kangaroo  had  tumbled  overboard  from 

53 


some  prehistoric  canoe,  and,  according  to  Mr. 
Darwin,  had  adapted  itself  to  the  new  environ 
ment,  and  become  a  shark.  The  pouch  for  the 
young  which  appears  on  the  outside  in  the  case 
of  the  kangaroo,  appears  as  a  pouch  on  the  inside 
of  the  shark. 

Peleg  learned  from  the  natives  that  at  times  fish 
were  very  scare  in  the  Honolulu  market.  During 
the  visits  of  the  whaling  fleets  which  often  num 
bered  over  a  hundred  vessels,  the  demand  could 
not  be  supplied  with  any  regularity.  When  there 
was  bad  weather,  the  canoes  could  not  put  out  to 
sea,  and  there  was  a  fish  famine  excepting  so  far 
as  it  could  be  supplied  from  the  local  fish  ponds 
that  were  entirely  owned  by  the  chiefs  and  King. 

Besides  there  were  some  rare  fish  which  the 
chiefs  were  especially  fond  of  which  were  found 
only  in  deep  water  and  could  only  be  obtained 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances  of  tide 
and  weather.  Such  were  the  Kawele-a,  the  Ahi, 
the  Ono  and  the  Omaka.  The  Ahi  was  a  very 
delicate  fish  and  was  found  only  off  the  coast  of 

53 


Hawaii,  and  was  seldom  seen  in  Honolulu 
markets. 

Peleg  said  to  himself :  "Why  not  train  sharks 
to  catch  fish  ?  It  may  be  as  dad  said,  some  bother 
to  find  out  their  way  of  thinkin'  and  they  live  in 
the  water.  But  they  has  eyes  and  ears,  and  they 
hasn't  got  them  things  for  nothing." 

He  caught,  with  the  aid  of  some  natives,  an 
immense  female  shark,  and  before  the  young  ones 
could  hide,  he  captured  them  all,  and  put  them 
in  a  pond  he  built  up  in  the  water.  He  began  to 
educate  them.  At  first  they  were  quite  vicious, 
and  refused  to  be  cheerful.  But  Peleg  knew  that 
from  the  crab  to  the  seraphim,  the  appeal  to  the 
appetite  was  most  effective.  After  repeated  ex 
periments,  he  found  that  sharks  had  a  most  extra 
ordinary  fondness  for  salt  pork.  There  was  a 
monotony  of  freshness  in  their  ordinary  diet,  ex 
cepting  as  a  sailor  with  a  rich  tobacco  flavor,  fell 
in  their  way  once  in  a  while.  He  also  discovered 
that  the  addition  of  beans  to  the  pork  made  the 
food  especially  attractive,  and  the  young  sharks 

54 


quickly  submitted  to  discipline  with  this  reward 
before  them. . 

He  saw  that  they  thought  in  their  crude  way, 
just  as  dogs  and  birds  thought,  and  their  hearing 
was  like  that  of  other  animals.  By  tapping  stones 
under  water  he  could  call  them,  but  he  generally 
used  a  speaking  tube  which  he  thrust  into  the 
water.  By  using  rags  of  different  colors,  he 
trained  them  to  distinguish  between  colors.  He 
taught  them  to  fetch  and  carry  sticks,  and  then 
pieces  of  meat.  As  they  grew  older,  he  trained 
them  to  search  for  fish  in  the  bay,  and  to  bring 
them  in  without  injuring  them  as  they  took  them 
in  or  cast  them  out  of  their  pouches.  Pork  and 
beans  were  liberally  used  as  rewards.  He  was 
finally  successful  in  teaching  them  to  distinguish 
between  the  grades  of  fish  and  as  it  were,  take 
orders  for  special  kinds  and  leave  the  rest.  The 
most  intelligent  learned  to  travel  long  distances, 
even  to  Maui  and  Hawaii,  and  find  the  feeding 
grounds  of  the  rare  fish  of  which  he  kept  samples 

55 


in  a  pond,  and  exhibited  to  them  whenever  he 
desired  a  supply  of  that  variety. 

He  never  permitted  the  natives  to  watch  him 
while  in  his  training  school.  He  gave  names  to 
the  expert  and  reliable  sharks.  His  reading  was 
limited  so  that  he  selected  names  from  the  Bible 
and  from  the  names  of  the  towns  near  his  home. 
He  called  them  "Lenox  belle,"  "Harrington  belle," 
"Pittsfield  belle,"  "Lee  belle,"  "Bashbish  belle," 
"Stockbridge  belle,"  and  many  other  Berkshire 
names  were  used.  The  Scriptural  names  were 
"Queen  of  Sheba,"  "Jezabel,"  "Mehita-bel"  and 
"Assyrian  girl,"  with  other  such  names.  The 
word  "belle"  appealed  to  his  poetic  instinct. 

He  graduated  the  sharks  after  two  years  of 
training,  and  then  opened  business.  He  pur 
chased  a  canoe,  and  paddled  out  to  sea,  followed 
by  more  than  twenty  submissive  fish.  He  sent 
them  off  singly  or  by  battalion,  as  he  called  it. 
In  the  battalion  form,  they  moved  out  on  an  ex 
tended  line  and  drove  the  fish  desired  towards 
the  caves  and  small  inlets,  where  they  were  easily 

56 


caught,  taken  into  the  pouches,  and  brought  to 
Peleg's  canoe,  and  pork  and  beans  were  liberally 
served  out  in  return. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  next  whaling  fleet,  Peleg 
entered  Honolulu  harbor  every  morning  with  a 
large  load  of  mullet  in  his  canoe  or  with  other 
excellent  fish.  After  disposing  of  them  to  the 
whalers,  he  put  out  of  the  harbor  at  once,  and 
joined  his  "sea  hounds"  as  he  called  them,  who 
waited  for  him  outside  the  reef.  His  enormous 
catches  attracted  the  attention  of  the  natives,  who 
once  followed  him  in  the  hope  of  finding  his  rich 
fishing  grounds.  They  were  especially  surprised 
at  his  large  catch  during  stormy  weather,  when 
they  could  not  go  out  in  their  canoes.  Nor,  by 
watching  Hanauma  bay  could  they  get  any  in 
formation,  as  there  were  no  nets  there,  and  the 
sharks  attracted  no  attention. 

On  one  occasion  as  he  was  paddling  along  the 
Waikiki  shore  after  selling  his  load  of  fish,  he 
met  a  fleet  of  native  canoes  that  had  no  luck. 
Taking  compassion  on  them,  he  dipped  his  tube 

57 


under  water,  gave  the  sign  for  mullet  to  his  sea 
dogs,  shipped  his  paddle,  and  lit  his  pipe.  In  an 
hour  the  noses  of  his  hunters  rubbed  against  the 
side  of  the  canoe,  and  leaning  over,  he  pulled  out 
of  their  mouths  more  than  six  hundred  pounds 
of  mullet,  and  threw  them  into  the  canoes  of  the 
natives.  The  natives  were  stricken  with  terror  at 
the  sight,  and  dropped  their  paddles  with  the  ex 
clamation:  "He  is  a  kahuna  (sorcerer)  of  the 
shark  god." 

He  was  soon  regarded  as  an  akua  (god).  No 
natives  dared  to  enter  the  bay  of  Hanauma. 

At  the  end  of  each  whaling  season  he  accumu 
lated  considerable  sums  in  gold,  a  part  of  which 
he  hid  and  a  part  he  invested  in  the  purchase  of 
shares  in  whalers.  After  the  season,  he  engaged 
in  fishing  for  the  rare  fish  only,  which  he  sup 
plied  to  the  King  and  chiefs.  Whenever  the  King 
said:  "Peleg,  my  friend,  I  want  some  of  the 
Ahi,"  Peleg  sent  four  of  his  leading  sharks  to 
the  Kona  coast,  and  they  returned  within  ten 
hours,  with  an  abundance. 

58 


The  King  sent  for  him  one  day  and  said  to 
him:  "You  are  the  most  valuable  man  in  my 
kingdom,  and  as  my  predecessors  rewarded  Isaac 
Davis  and  John  Young  with  matrimonial  alli 
ances,  I  would  be  glad  to  have  you  look  around 
and  if  you  see  any  attractive  female  of  the  royal 
connection  that  you  would  like  to  marry,  you 
may  take  her  until  otherwise  ordered.  I  wish  for 
useful  men  about  my  throne.  I  put  on  no  airs, 
excepting  a  white  cotton  shirt.  If  you  accept  my 
offer  you  are  authorized  to  wear  an  Admiral's 
cocked  hat,  and  new  boots  on  State  occasion." 
Peleg  replied  that  he  recognized  the  honor,  but 
that  his  heart  belonged  to  his  sharks  and  to  the 
daughter  of  a  carpenter  who  lived  near  the  York 
State  line,  and  he  expected  to  visit  her  very  soon. 

A  fanatical  native  attempted  to  "anaana"  him 
or  pray  him  to  death.  He  gathered  grass  and 
burned  it.  The  oily  kukui  nuts  were  thrown  on 
the  fire,  and  the  whole  resources  of  the  Polynesian 
Black  Art  were  brought  into  use.  But  Peleg 
lived. 

59 


A  missionary,  hearing  of  his  remarkable 
powers,  visited  him  and  inquired  about  his  ances 
tors,  and  among  other  questions  asked  him  if  he 
had  become  a  heathen  and  allowed  himself  to  be 
come  a  kahuna  or  sorcerer.  He  replied  that  he 
did  not  hanker  after  heathenism,  but,  he  said,  that 
if  he  was  in  the  missionary  business  he  would 
open  a  conjuring  saloon  and  beat  all  their  old 
kahunas  at  sleight  of  hand  tricks,  and  that  would 
soon  bring  the  whole  crowd  over  to  his  side.  The 
heathen,  he  said,  couldn't  do  much  thinking  but 
if  they  saw  him  pull  a  rabbit  out  of  his  nose,  or 
take  a  taro  out  of  a  man's  ear,  they  would  smash 
the  business  of  their  own  conjuring  priests. 
Seein'  was  believin'.  Conjuring  tricks  would 
finally  bust  up  their  superstitions.  The  mis 
sionary  said  he  and  his  associates  could  not  look 
upon  the  matter  in  that  way,  but  he  would  write 
to  the  American  Board  about  it,  and  ask  it  to  send 
out  a  respectable  conjurer  of  high  moral  principle 
who  would  hitch  a  moral  to  the  tail  end  of  every 
60 


trick,  and  then  challenge  a  native  sorcerer  to  do 
any  better. 

Peleg  said  that  although  he  was  a  perverted 
Puritan,  he  would  supply  all  of  the  Honolulu  mis 
sionaries  with  fish  without  charge. 

As  he  had  received  a  very  limited  education 
owing  to  his  father's  flourishing  poverty,  he 
seldom  wrote  any  letters.  He  did  not  forget 
his  mother,  however.  She  received  from  time 
to  time,  through  Bunker  &  Co.,  of  New  Bed 
ford,  comfortable  sums  of  money,  with  the 
statement  that  they  came  from  her  son,  who 
was  somewhere  on  the  equator,  and  would 
come  home  after  awhile.  He  also  sent  to 
Patsy  McGloural,  who  had  grown  up  and  did 
the  chores  in  the  family  of  a  rich  paper  manu 
facturer,  a  sandal  wood  box,  and  a  dress  of  the 
finest  Chinese  silk,  which  he  got  from  one  of  the 
vessels  in  the  sandal  wood  trade.  This  dress  was 
the  finest  in  Berkshire  county,  and  when  Patsy 
put  it  on  and  went  to  church,  it  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  women,  so  that  the  preacher  gave 

61 


out  the  hymn  about  being  "naked,  poor  and  sin 
ful." 

Peleg  had  invested  his  money  in  shares  in  the 
whaleships,  which  made  very  profitable  voyages, 
from  Honolulu  to  the  Arctic  and  Japan  seas,  and 
he  became  rich  for  a  Berkshire  man.  After  ten 
years  of  fishing  he  resolved  to  go  home.  He 
found  a  young  man  who  came  from  the  neighbor 
ing  town  of  Hinsdale,  on  one  of  the  new  whalers, 
and  after  giving  him  a  long  trial,  instructed  him 
in  the  business.  He  consulted  an  attorney  in  Ho 
nolulu,  and  executed  an  instrument  establishing 
the  "Peleg  Chapman  Shark  Trust,"  the  income 
of  which  was  to  be  used  in  feeding  his  faithful 
sharks  with  pork  and  beans,  and  in  supplying  the 
poor  natives  of  Honolulu  with  fish. 

He  then  sailed  for  New  Bedford,  and  on 
arriving  there,  went  directly  home.  He  arrested 
the  even  course  of  his  father's  poverty,  but  did 
not  inform  his  indigent  but  acute  parent  of  the 
sources  of  his  fortune.  He  built  for  his  mother 
the  finest  chicken  house  in  the  county,  and  pres- 

62 


ented  her  with  a  neat  buggy  and  a  gentle  horse. 
He  soon  married  Patsy,  and  was  known  as  Squire 
Chapman.  As  a  leading  authority  on  travel,  he 
had  no  equal  in  those  parts.  Subsequently,  with 
the  aid  of  a  young  student  from  Williams  College, 
he  published  in  rather  Sophomorical  language,  a 
book  which  had  a  wide  circulation  titled,  "Chap 
man's  researches  in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific." 


63 


A  Hawaiian  Love  Story. 


':'  -  ANY  years  ago  there  lived  in  Hoi- 
kaopuiaawalau,  in  Hamakua,  on 
Maui,  a  Hawaiian  maiden  whose 
story  I  will  tell  as  I  heard  it  from 
one  who  knew  it  too  well. 

"Her  name,  which  they  said  was 
given  her  by  her  kupuna,  Hikiau,  who  was  a 
favorite  chief  under  Kamehameha  the  great,  was 
Kalaninuiahilapalapa,  but  we  always  called  her 
Lani. 

At  the  time  we  first  met  her  she  was  about 
eleven  years  of  age,  very   pretty,    with    regular 

64 


features  and  long,  black,  silky  hair.  Like  many 
of  the  natives  she  had  beautiful  gazelle-eyes,  such 
as  one  never  tires  of  gazing  into.  Probably  those 
eyes  cost  her  most  of  her — well  we  will  tell  it. 

She  lived  with  her  parents  in  that  beautiful  lit 
tle  fern-clad  valley,  known  today  as  Awalau, 
where  her  father  worked  in  a  sawmill.  He  was 
a  very  large  and  powerful  man  and  as  good 
natured  as  large  men  usually  are. 

His  name  was  Kapohakunuipalahalaha,  but  as 
that  was  unnecessarily  long,  we  shortened  it  to 
Nui,  and  a  faithful  man  Nui  was  at  any  kind  of 
work.  Those  who  know  what  sawmill  work  is 
know  that  great  strength  is  appreciated,  especial 
ly  when  you  are  depending  on  a  man  to  keep  his 
end  of  a  cant-hook  up  to  time.  He  was  as  hos 
pitable  as  the  natives  have  the  reputation  of 
being,  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal. 

Lani's  mother,  Kamaka,  was  a  sprightly  woman 
of  about  thirty-five  and  did  her  part  to  make  "life 
in  the  woods"  pleasant.  Neither  mother  nor 
daughter  appeared  to  have  many  household  cares 

65 


and  seemed  to  take  delight  in  wandering  up  and 
down  the  valley  in  quest  of  land  shrimps,  which 
they  caught  in  a  cornucopia-shaped  basket  made 
of  wicker  work.  These,  with  the  little  black  fish 
named  oopu  which  they  found  adhering  to  the 
stones  in  the  brook,  and  a  fern  frond  called  po- 
hole,  together  with  poi,  the  Hawaiian  staff  of  life, 
constituted  the  principal  part  of  their  diet.  They 
were  also  very  fond  of  pig  and  chicken  and  never 
begrudged  the  labor  or  time  spent  in  getting  up  a 
luau.  From  them  we  had  an  insight  into  the 
Hawaiian  mode  of  living  and  were  surprised  to 
note  to  what  an  extent  the  natives  are  dependent 
on  the  sea  for  a  livelihood.  Sometimes  Nui  would 
take  a  day  off,  whether  the  master  liked  or  not, 
and  take  his  family  to  the  beach,  when  they  em 
ployed  themselves  in  fishing.  They  would  return 
with  the  greatest  assortment  of  shell-fish  and  fish 
of  many  sizes  of  the  most  varied  colors.  Also 
they  would  bring  limu  of  several  kinds  and  odors. 
Limu,  you  know,  is  seaweed,  and  there  appear 
to  be  as  many  varieties  of  it  as  there  are  of  ferns 
66 


on  the  land.  There  is  also  a  variety  of  it  found 
in  the  streams  adhering  to  the  rocks  on  the  bot 
tom,  which  we  were  always  taught  to  beware  of 
at  home,  but  which  the  natives  eat  with  cooked 
meats  with  great  gusto. 

They  always  kept  a  store  of  kukui  nuts,  which 
they  roasted;  then  breaking  up  the  kernels  fine 
and  mixed  with  salt,  they  ate  it  as  a  relish. 

The  women  took  delight  in  adorning  them 
selves  with  leis,  made  either  of  the  maile,  which 
grew  in  profusion  on  the  steep  sides  of  the 
ravines,  or  of  the  palapalai,  a  luxuriant  fern 
which  clothes  the  valleys  as  with  a  garment. 
Sometimes  they  would  make  leis  of  the  fruit  of 
the  hala  tree,  the  pandanus,  which  was  also  very 
plentiful  in  that  part  of  the  island.  Sometimes 
they  would  inter-twine  the  bright  hala  fruit  and 
the  fragrant  glossy  leaves  of  the  maile,  which 
made  a  very  beautiful  lei,  especially  on  an  olive 
skin  as  a  background. 

Often  we  were  called  in  to  eat  with  them  and 
learned  to  like  almost  all  their  native  dishes.  It 

67 


was  always  the  custom  to  call  in  any  stranger 
passing,  to  share  their  food  with  them.  Their 
style  of  cooking,  viz :  under  ground,  or  in  a  sauce 
pan  over  an  open  fire,  seemed  to  give  the  food  a 
piquancy  which  had  charms  for  us. 

Lani  had  a  very  sweet  voice  and  accompanied 
her  singing  with  a  guitar,  which  she  played  very 
sweetly  and  many  an  evening  we  passed  about 
the  campfire  very  comfortably.  She  could  yodel 
like  an  inhabitant  of  the  Swiss  Alps  and  often  we 
would  hear  her  singing  and  yodeling  as  she  came 
up  the  valley  to  cross  up  to  the  tableland  where 
we  were  cutting  the  large  koa  trees,  preparatory 
to  hauling  them  to  the  mill  to  turn  into  the  hand 
some  lumber  so  much  sought  after  for  making 
fine  furniture.  There  was  not  a  man  in  the  camp 
who  was  not  charmed  with  her. 

There  was  a  little  Chinaman  who  came  up 
through  our  valley,  leading  pack  horses,  whose 
business  was  buying  pepeiao,  an  ear-shaped  fun 
gus  which  is  found  very  plentiful  on  the  trunks 
of  decayed  trees  on  the  windward  sides  of  all  the 
68 


islands.  The  natives  gathered  and  dried  these 
and  were  always  glad  to  see  the  Chinaman  come 
around,  as  they  were  enabled  to  exchange  them 
for  either  cash  or  the  sweet  cakes  which  he  car 
ried  in  his  panniers.  This  fungus  contains  a  good 
deal  of  gelatinous  matter  and  was  formerly  large 
ly  exported  to  China,  where  it  is  used  for  soup 
making.  This  poor  little  waif  of  a  Celestial, 
named  Leong  Sing,  fell  in  love  with  our  Lani  at 
first  sight  and  the  frequent  occasions  he  took  for 
wandering  up  our  valley  were  not  warranted  by 
the  inextensive  trade  which  he  found.  He  made 
the  acquaintance  of  a  Chinaman  who  had  a  camp 
in  a  neighboring  valley,  where  he  was  making 
charcoal  from  the  branches  of  the  koa  trees,  which 
he  purchased  from  us.  He  got  to  staying  over 
night  with  his  friend  and  would  sometimes  join 
our  campfire  of  an  evening  and  listen  to  Lani's 
singing.  None  of  us  suspected  him  of  the  ef 
frontery  of  falling  in  love  with  our  Lani  or  of 
expecting  her  to  reciprocate  his  affection.  While 
at  work  one  day  in  the  woods  her  father  told  us 


that  the  Chinaman  had  proposed  and  wanted  to 
carry  her  off  to  Lahaina,  where  his  uncle  had  a 
large  store.  This  was  a  greater  temptation  to 
Lani  than  we  suspected,  as  she  was  very  fond  of 
good  clothes  and  the  Chinese  are  noted  for  tak 
ing  the  best  of  care  of  their  wives  in  that  respect. 
Also  was  not  Lahaina  the  capital,  where  young 
people  were  numerous  and  where  her  accomplish 
ments  would  be  appreciated  ? 

Her  father  had  higher  aspirations  for  his 
daughter  and  wished  that  she  might  marry  a 
haole. 

There  was  a  young  man  in  camp,  named 
Frank  Willoughby,  (evidently  a  purser's  name) 
who  had  come  round  the  Horn  in  a  whaler  and 
had  decamped  as  soon  as  the  vessel  touched  at 
Honolulu,  as  many  of  our  best  and  worst  men  did. 
Frank  had  a  good  education  and  was  a  very  fine 
looking,  healthy  young  fellow  of  a  most  amiable 
disposition.  When  Frank  heard  of  the  China 
man's  proposal  he  said  he  would  kill  the  saffron- 
colored  Celestial  on  sight  and  break  every  bone  in 

70 


his  body  for  his  presumption.  Then  we  knew 
that  Frank  was  badly  smitten. 

But  he  was  not  the  only  one  who  was  struck 
bad,  as  there  was  a  young  half  Hawaiian-Portu 
guese  named  Joe  Edwards  who  was  also  very  de 
nunciatory  of  the  Chinaman  and  expressed  a  wish 
for  his  speedy  demise.  Some  of  us  had  noticed 
that  Frank  was  jealous  of  Joe,  as  the  latter  could 
play  the  ukeke  or  Hawaiian  Jew's  harp,  very  well, 
and  as  a  stranger  cannot  tell  what  the  player  is 
singing  on  the  instrument  to  his  dulcinea,  Frank 
could  not  understand  how  far  Joe  had  got  along 
in  his  courtship. 

There  was  another  party  who  was  heels  over 
head  in  love  with  Lani  and  this  was  so  utterly 
unexpected  that  when  the  denouement  took  place 
"you  might  knock  us  all  down  with  a  feather." 
This  was  a  big  hulk  of  a  black  Portuguese  named 
Shenandoah,  from  his  having  been  captured  on  a 
whaler  by  that  Confederate  pirate  when  on  her 
marauding  excursion  amongst  the  whalers  in  the 
Arctic,  from  whence  he  was  returned  to  Hono 
lulu  with  many  others.  He  was  a  most  repulsive, 


villainous-looking  scoundrel,  with  black  warts  on 
his  face;  an  lago  who  could  never  capture  our 
Desdemona  and  consequently  never  came  into  our 
calculations. 

Anyway  the  Chinaman's  name  was  "mud" 
from  that  time  on. 

Frank  could  not  talk  much  native  and  Lani's 
English  education  had  been  sadly  neglected,  but 
it  would  not  be  the  first  instance  where  love  was 
made  with  the  eyes  and  not  the  tongue. 

The  work  in  the  woods,  felling  those  mam 
moth  koas  and  hauling  them  with  cattle  to  the 
mill,  was  looked  on  more  as  play  than  work,  but 
we  were  very  tired  at  night  just  the  same.  The 
ieie,  an  almost  impenetrable  climbing  vine,  seemed 
to  take  delight  in  wrapping  its  rootlets  around 
those  koas,  to  the  vexation  of  the  woodsman,  and 
it  would  sometimes  take  hours  to  get  at  the  trunk 
of  a  tree.  In  chopping  this  ieie  the  axe  would 
sometimes  fly  back  to  the  peril  of  the  chopper. 
Once  Frank  had  the  bad  or  good  luck  to  get  cut 
in  the  head  with  his  axe  and  as  he  bled  very  freely 

72 


we  were  much  alarmed  and  took  him  down  to  the 
camp.  Kamaka  put  a  bandage  of  some  native 
herbs  about  his  head  and  he  remained  at  home  for 
two  or  three  days.  How  far  his  courtship  pro 
gressed  during  his  convalescence  we  were  never 
able  to  learn.  Joe  said  he  wished  he  himself  could 
get  his  foot  cut  off  or  something  that  he  might  be 
invalided. 

Sometime  after  this  the  boss  told  us  we  could 
all  go  down  to  Wailuku  for  a  holiday  and  spend 
the  Fourth  of  July,  which  was  going  to  be  grand 
ly  celebrated  that  year  on  account  of  some  favor 
able  news  from  home,  provided  we  would  take  a 
load  of  koa  lumber  down.  Horses  were  not  very 
plentiful  with  us  and  we  were  to  ride  on  the  load. 
As  Nui  and  Shenandoah  were  to  drive  the  six 
yoke  of  oxen  and  Lani  and  her  mother  were  to 
ride  we  jumped  at  the  opportunity. 

The  cattle  were  brought  in  from  the  woods, 
after  a  tedious  search  for  them,  for  a  bullock  can 
hide  himself  easier  under  the  parisitic  vines  and 
convolvulous  which  hang  from  those  mammoth 

73 


koas  than  anywhere  under  the  sun.  The  wagon 
being  loaded  and  the  load  bound  on  with  chains 
we  eight  took  our  places  for  an  eighteen-mile 
ride.  Lani  had  provided  leis  for  each  of  us  and 
she  and  her  mother  had  collected  an  immensity  of 
ferns  and  ki  leaves  for  a  cushion  to  make  the  soft 
side  of  the  boards  softer,  and  we  had  a  large 
hamper  of  lunch  and  a  merrier  party  never  started 
for  an  ox-cart  ride. 

We  got  away  about  5  a.  m.,  Nui  and  Shenan- 
doah  walking  on  either  side  of  the  team  and  there 
never  was  more  fun  in  a  basket  of  monkeys  than 
on  that  wagon.  He  had  our  old  standbys,  Nigger 
and  Puakea  on  the  tongue  and  the  young  cattle 
ahead  and  the  trouble  these  cattle  caused  "I 
couldn't  be  telling."  They  would  dash  ahead  and 
fetch  up,  then  they  would  turn  on  their  tracks 
and  get  tangled  in  the  chains,  then  after  a  lot  of 
bad  language  they  would  get  straightened  out 
and  make  another  break,  and  this  was  repeated 
ad  nauseam. 

When  we  got  them  up  out  of  the  valley  and  the 

74 


weight  of  the  load  was  relieved  they  made  a 
break  to  run  and  almost  pulled  the  heads  off  the 
tongue  cattle,  who,  I  believe,  would  sooner  have 
lost  those  extremities  than  have  been  so  undig 
nified  as  to  go  faster  than  a  walk.  Down  we 
went  through  Kawaiki,  and  through  Huluhulu- 
nui,  Puaahookui,  and  Kaluanui  gulches,  the 
young  cattle  on  the  tear  and  the  old  ones  on  their 
haunches,  notwithstanding  the  chain  lock  which 
we  had  on  the  wheels.  The  only  thing  to  hold  on 
to  was  the  binding  chain  and  after  getting  our 
hands  nipped  a  few  times  we  preferred  to  main 
tain  our  positions  by  leaning  up  against  each 
other.  We  could  not  refrain  from  remarking  on 
the  solicitude  which  both  Frank  and  Joe  exhibited 
for  Lani's  welfare,  doing  everything  they  could 
devise  for  her  comfort.  We  have  helped  tip  over 
a  pair  of  bobs  in  the  snow  at  home  to  hear  the 
girls  squeal,  but  we  never  had  an  experience  of 
riding  on  a  bullock  cart  with  a  trio  of  lovesick 
people  when  every  instant  produced  a  bump 
which  would  drive  a  sane  person  into  insanity. 

75 


The  sun  came  up  right  glorious  and  gave  us 
the  benefit  of  its  full  actinic  rays  for  the  whole 
day.  However,  had  we  been  in  a  palace  car  we 
could  not  have  had  more  fun. 

All  across  that  sunburnt  plain  from  East  Maui 
plantation  to  the  beach  at  Kahului  we  bumped 
over  rocks  and  into  gullies,  for  who  ever  knew 
of  a  bullock  team  fool  enough  to  miss  any  of  those 
opportunities  of  getting  even  on  man  for  his 
inhumanity  to  them.  Towards  I  p.  M.  we  reached 
Kahului,  the  cattle  with  their  tongues  hanging 
out  this  three  hours  for  lack  of  water.  Here  was 
plenty  of  it  and  the  whole  team  rushed  into  the 
sea  only  to  find  that  this  fluid  which  so  much 
resembled  water  was  not  the  kind  they  were 
accustomed  to. 

Now  we  were  in  real  danger  of  getting  drown 
ed  or  getting  the  wheels  stuck  in  the  quick-sand. 
Frank  suggested  that  we  take  the  wheels  off  our 
chariot,  the  way  Pharaoh  did  and  float  ashore. 
He  was  told  to  kulikuli  and  suggest  some  way 
out  of  the  difficulty  which  was  feasible.  All  of 

76 


us  knew  how  to  direct  the  drivers  however,  and 
if  they  had  listened  to  us  we  would  have  been 
there  yet.  Nui  dashed  into  the  water  to  seaward 
of  the  cattle  and  striking  one  of  the  young  leaders 
on  the  nose  it  bellowed  with  pain  and  turned 
shorewards  and  we  were  saved,  probably  for  a 
worse  fate.  We  arrived  safely  at  Wailuku  and 
hastened  to  relieve  ourselves  of  the  superfluous 
real  estate  gathered  on  the  way,  for  the  winds  of 
Kahului  isthmus  can  carry  more  red  dirt  per 
cubic  inch  than  any  simoon  in  Arabia,  and  deposit 
it  more  evenly  on  any  obstructing  surface. 

That  evening  we  met  Lani  and  her  mother  at 
the  village  store  and  postofnce  and  she  soon  be 
came  the  recipient  of  much  in  the  line  of  bright 
colored  dress  goods.  Frank  received  a  remittance 
from  home  and  nothing  would  do  but  he  must 
give  her  a  side  saddle,  one  of  those  fancy  looking 
horse-killers  such  as  they  sold  for  twenty  dollars. 
Joe  bought  her  a  fancy  bridle  and  another  mem 
ber  of  the  party  gave  her  a  flaming  scarlet  felt 
saddle  cloth.  All  these  to  a  poor  girl  who  did 

77 


not  own  a  horse.  Horses  were  pretty  cheap  in 
those  days,  from  $5  up.  Frank  bought  her  a 
cream  colored  mare  from  a  bystander  for  $20  and 
placing  the  saddle  and  accoutrements  on  he  re 
quested  her  to  mount  and  try  the  saddle. 

Shenandoah  had  been  buying  dress  goods  at 
the  instigation  of  Lani's  mother  and  when  he 
came  out  and  saw  the  beautiful  girl  mounted  on 
the  prancing  horse  he  swore  she  should  never 
ride  it  home  and  commanded  her  to  dismount. 

This  revelation  was  too  much  for  us.  What; 
this  clod  of  earth  dare  to  talk  in  this  manner  to 
our  Lani?  And  using  tones  of  authority  too! 
This  was  the  last  straw.  Frank  opened  up  on 
him  with  a  volubility  and  a  vocabulary  which 
could  only  have  been  acquired  before  the  mast  on 
an  American  whaler. 

Shenandoah  dropped  his  armful  of  bundles  and 
made  a  rush  at  him  to  annihilate  him.  Frank  had 
played  football  too  much  in  college  to  be  badly 
terrified  and  when  the  Portuguese  struck  at  him 
he  lowered  his  head  and  rushed  his  black  oppo- 

78 


nent,  taking  him  just  in  the  short  ribs  with  his 
head,  and  Shenandoah  was  hors  de  combat  in- 
stanter.  It  was  sometime  before  he  could  take  a 
breath,  then  had  to  be  taken  off  to  a  room,  which 
he  did  not  leave  until  we  were  ready  to  return  to 
Hoikaopuiaawalau. 

Frank  got  a  nice  horse  for  himself  and  he  and 
Lani  enjoyed  the  Fourth  of  July. 

At  that  time  there  was  a  fashion  among  the 
native  women  of  making  their  own  hats  from 
rooster  skins.  A  fine  bird  would  be  selected,  no 
matter  what  the  price  ($5  has  been  paid  for  a 
bird  for  that  purpose).  The  skin  was  taken  off 
whole  and  while  green  put  over  a  mold  to  dry. 
Then  they  would  line  them  and  when  rightly 
made  one  could  almost  imagine  it  was  a  live 
rooster  sitting  on  a  nest.  Frank  got  one  of  the 
best  of  these  and  gave  it  to  Lani  and  the  next  day 
as  he  and  she  rode  on  either  side  of  the  team, 
for  they  drove  us  home,  the  sight  of  her  was  ex 
ceedingly  galling  to  Shenandoah  who  had  to  ride 

79 


on  the  empty  wagon,  the  cock  appearing  to  crow 
over  him  at  every  bounce  of  her  horse. 

However  the  fun  was  not  out  of  us  yet  nor 
out  of  the  bullock.  They  never  seemed  to  tire 
giving  us  our  money's  worth.  When  we  had 
arrived  at  Wailuku  we  turned  them  into  a  corral 
where  there  was  plenty  of  food  and  drink  and 
they  ought  to  have  been  satisfied.  Not  so  how 
ever,  for,  about  midnight  a  man  came  to  our  lodg 
ings  and  said  our  cattle  had  got  loose  into  the 
cane  fields,  and,  tired  as  we  were  we  all  had  to 
get  out  and  hunt  them  through  the  cane,  and 
corral  them  once  more. 

We  sailed  across  the  plains  easily  enough  but 
when  we  came  to  the  region  of  gulches  and  night 
and  the  rain  had  set  in  the  anxiety  of  those  on 
the  wagon  for  their  safety  was  pathetic.  We  had 
some  marvellous  escapes  but  finally  arrived  in 
camp  in  a  half  drowned  condition. 

A  couple  of  days  afterwards  the  charcoal 
burner  came  over  and  told  us  that  Leong  Sing 
had  been  there  during  our  absence,  and  says  he 

80 


"there  he  comes  again."  That  evening  he  called 
on  Lani  and  she  flatly  told  him  in  some  expres 
sive  way  that  she  wished  no  more  of  his  atten 
tions.  He  retired  to  the  Chinese  camp  and  we 
saw  him  no  more. 

The  following  day  the  Chinaman  came  over 
and  asked  where  Leong  Sing  was.  We  said  we 
did  not  know.  Then  said  he  "he  is  dead  for  his 
hat  is  lying  beside  the  charcoal  kiln  and  it  looks 
as  if  he  had  fallen  in  and  been  consumed."  We 
went  over  to  see  and  things  did  have  that  appear 
ance,  as  the  roof  had  fallen  in  and  the  pit  was  a 
mass  of  flame.  The  Chinaman  must  have  taken 
the  rejection  of  his  suit  very  much  to  heart  to 
have  destroyed  himself  by  such  a  horrid  route. 

That  same  day  Shenandoah  rode  off  to  Maka- 
wao  on  Lani's  horse  and  reported  the  death  of 
Leong  Sing  and  swore  out  a  complaint  charging 
Frank  Willoughby  with  the  murder. 

A  constable  came  over  and  took  Frank  away 
and  when  the  coroner's  inquest  was  held  the  jury 
returned  a  verdict  "died  by  the  hands  of  some 
81 


one  unknown  to  us."  At  the  examination  before 
the  magistrate  Shenandoah  and  Joe  Edwards 
both  swore  to  having  repeatedly  heard  Frank 
Willoughby  threaten  to  kill  the  Chinaman  and 
the  magistrate  held  Frank  without  bail  to  be  tried 
by  the  next  Circuit  Court  at  Lahaina.  He  was 
taken  off  over  the  mountains  by  a  policeman. 
Joe  Edwards  skipped  out  for  fear  he  might  be 
also  arrested,  for  his  threats  were  as  pronounced 
as  Frank's. 

When  Frank  and  the  guard  got  into  Lahaina 
he  sent  for  an  old  friend  of  his  father's  who  was 
practicing  law  there  and  he  persuaded  the  Cir 
cuit  Judge  to  accept  bail  as  there  had  been  no 
body  found  and  no  cause  for  the  calling  of  a 
coroner's  jury  and  that  the  magistrate  merely 
acted  on  the  hearsay  of  a  pair  who  were  jealous 
of  the  prisoner. 

Frank  went  home  with  Farwell  and  the  latter 
advised  him  to  return  home  to  New  York  saying 
that  he  had  frequently  written  to  him  advising 
such  a  course  and  his  parents  were  exceedingly 

82 


anxious  about  him.  Frank  refused  to  skip  his 
bail  and  determined  to  stand  trial  like  a  man. 

Within  two  weeks  the  Chinaman,  Leong  Sing, 
came  in  with  his  uncle  who  had  gone  to  search 
into  the  matter  and  Frank  was  ordered  dis 
charged.  The  Chinaman  had  felt  so  heartbroken 
that  he  had  wandered  away  up  the  ravine  and 
climbed  up  on  a  ridge  and  kept  on  walking  until 
he  met  a  heavy  shower  and  as  it  is  pretty  cold 
up  there  he  turned  to  go  back.  Unfortunately  he 
did  not  take  the  same  ridge  down,  a  thing  likely 
enough  to  occur,  as  he  had  walked  so  far  as  to 
have  passed  the  heads  of  several  ravines,  and 
keeping  too  much  to  the  right  had  brought  up 
the  following  night  at  Halehaku,  some  six  miles 
from  his  point  of  departure.  The  natives  took 
care  of  him  and  in  a  few  days  he  was  enabled 
to  get  a  horse  and  return  to  camp  to  the  agree 
able  surprise  of  the  rest  of  us. 

Frank  took  Mr.  Farwell's  advice  and  went 
straight  home  to  New  York.  Years  afterwards 
we  were  riding  from  Waihee  to  Lahaina  by  way 

83 


of  Kahakuloa  and  arriving  at  the  latter  village  we 
felt  as  if  some  fish  and  poi  would  taste  good.  It 
was  a  dilapidated  looking  place  and  the  shanties 
were  hardly  improvements  on  pigsties,  but  we 
decided  that  it  was  better  to  eat  there  than  to 
risk  going  farther  and  finding  none. 

We  stopped  at  the  best  looking  shanty  and 
were  told  they  would  prepare  us  some  opihi,  a 
shell  fish  abundant  on  the  rocks  there,  the  sale 
of  which  is  about  the  only  source  of  livelihood 
of  the  few  inhabitants. 

Imagine  our  surprise  when  we  were  called  to 
eat  to  find  that  our  hostess  was  none  other  than 
Lani  and  that  Shenandoah  was  our  host  and  that 
their  eleven  little  black  offsprings  were  the  kids 
we  saw  perched  on  the  fence. 

Lani  was  an  old  fagged  out  woman  without 
any  traces  of  the  belle  she  had  been,  and  Shenan 
doah  was  blacker  and  uglier  than  ever.  "Apples 
of  Sodom,"  said  my  friend,  and  we  paid  for  our 
opihi  and  po-  and  departed. 

J.  W.  GIRVIN. 

84 


BOVE  the  long  sloping  hills  of  Kona 
where  the  coffee  grows  luxuriantly, 
on  the  stately  mountain  of  Hualalai, 
he  lived,  this  Hiku  I  Kanahele. 
That  he  existed  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  for  the  Kamaainas  will  tell 
you  the  most  remarkable  stories  concerning 
him,  which  have  been  cherished  with  all  the 
old-time  love  of  romance  to  the  present  mat 
ter-of-fact  age,  handed  down  from  generation 
to  generation.  They  will  tell  you  also  that  his 
father  Ku  was  a  Demi-God  and  his  mother  Hina 
a  Demi-Goddess,  and  will  eagerly  show  you  a  ro- 

85 


mantic  relic  of  the  past  at  the  foot  of  the  moun 
tain,  the  Ke  Ana  o  Hina — Cave  of  Hina,  and  will 
point  out  to  you  on  the  Kona  coast,  not  far  from 
Kailua,  with  its  soft,  dreamy  warm  atmosphere 
and  enchanting  bay,  the  palace  where  Hiku  and 
his  bride  resided. 

Ku  and  Hina  had  two  children:  Hiku,  kane, 
and  Kawelu,  wahine,  she  being  many  years  his 
junior.  Hiku,  however,  did  not  know  of  her  ex 
istence,  for  when  a  very  little  kaikamahine  she 
was  given  to  the  care  of  the  brave  Chief  of  Ho- 
lualoa,  who  reared  her  as  his  own  child. 

Beautiful  as  the  sunrise  was  Kawelu,  with  eyes 
as  large,  soft  and  brown  as  the  heart  of  a  sun 
flower,  tall,  and  graceful  as  the  palms  which  sway 
ed  in  the  murmuring  breezes  in  her  palace  garden, 
with  a  disposition  sweet  as  the  maile  wreaths  and 
ohia  leis  her  maidens  wove  to  adorn  her  jet-black 
hair,  or  wind  around  her  willowy  shapely  form. 

Many  were  the  young  chiefs  who  sought  her 
favors,  but  for  all  she  had  only  smiles  of  friend 
ship,  though  at  times,  with  the  wanton  coquetry 

86 


innate  in  the  heart  of  every  beautiful  woman,  she 
would  smile  archly  and  invitingly  upon  some 
handsome  Alii,  then  regard  him  with  a  saucy  in 
difference  which  made  her  doubly  precious  in  his 
eyes.  Agile  as  she  was  beautiful,  her  equal  could 
not  be  found  throughout  the  Isle  in  athletic 
games.  Often,  in  the  pastime  of  throwing  the 
spear,  had  she  evaded  half  a  dozen  of  these  dan 
gerous  weapons  cast  at  her  at  once,  catching 
some  with  her  hands,  warding  off  or  eluding  the 
others.  None  could  hurl  the  arrows  so  dextrous- 
ly  as  she,  nor  ride  so  swiftly  on  the  holua  down 
the  steep  hills,  and  few  cared  to  leap  from  such 
lofty  rocks  into  the  swollen  streams;  and  she 
would  think  it  a  light  task  to  swim  for  miles  upon 
the  gently  swelling  waters  of  the  blue  ocean,  say 
ing  with  a  merry  laugh  that  the  dreaded  Mano 
was  her  good  friend.  But  the  pastime  she  loved 
best  of  all  was  surf  riding,  and  so  wondrously  ex 
pert  was  she  in  this  exhilarating  sport,  and  so 
beautiful  did  she  appear  standing  erect  on  her 
board  on  the  crest  of  an  incoming  wave,  breaking 

87 


in  snowy  foam  all  around  her,  so  like  a  radiant 
Nymph  or  Goddess  freshly  risen  from  the  seeth 
ing  waters,  that  the  onlookers  would  burst  into 
thunderous  applause,  calling  her  Kawelu  the 
Beautiful,  which  was  borne  echoing  up  the  moun 
tain  for  many  miles;  and  it  was  there  in  his  home 
on  the  mountain  top  that  Hiku  heard  these 
strange  sounds  wafted  thither  by  the  vagrant 
winds.  Often  had  he  asked  his  mother  what  they 
meant,  but  always  evasive  were  her  answers,  for 
well  she  knew,  with  her  wonderful  power  of  divin 
ing  the  future,  what  the  result  would  be  if  he 
should  know.  But  at  last,  so  persistent  were  his 
queries,  she  told  him  the  sounds  he  heard  were 
the  voices  of  the  people,  applauding  the  most 
lovely  wahine  in  all  the  world,  praising  her  beauty 
and  skill  as  she  rode  on  the  waves,  and  that  this 
beautiful  maiden  was  his  own  sister.  Then  a 
great  warm  desire  filled  his  breast,  and  he  said: 
"I  must  go  to  her;  I  must  see  this  charming  sis 
ter  of  mine,  and  ride  with  her  on  the  waves." 
With  commands  and  entreaties  Hina  endeavored 


to  detain  him,  but  to  no  purpose.  Then  she  told 
him  they  would  fall  in  love  with  each  other,  and 
that  would  bring  great  pilikia,  for  it  was  con 
sidered  then  a  proper  thing  for  the  chiefs  to  make 
love  to  and  marry  their  own  sisters. 

The  next  day  Hiku  departed  for  the  coast  with 
a  surf  board  made  by  his  father.  Being  descend 
ed  from  the  Gods  he  had  all  their  innate  beauty 
of  form  and  cleverness;  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  rode  the  waves  called  forth  the  plaudits  of  the 
assembled  crowd  again  and  again. 

Kawelu,  who  at  this  time  was  indolently  lying 
on  the  royal  mats  in  the  palace,  her  shapely  form 
being  lomilomied  by  her  attentive  maids,  inquired 
why  the  people  applauded  so  heartily,  and  on  be 
ing  told  there  had  come  a  stranger  to  the  shore 
as  strong  and  graceful  and  athletic  as  a  God,  and 
that  he  was  riding  her  favorite  nalu,  which  were 
tabu  to  those  not  of  Royal  birth,  hastily  encircled 
her  slender  waist  with  her  pa'u,  and  with  the  Lei- 
palaoa  around  her  neck  (an  ivory  insignia  of 
royalty  enclosed  in  human  hair),  hurried  to  the 


beach,  and  there  upon  the  white  gleaming  crests 
of  her  own  nalu  saw  the  most  handsome  youth 
her  liquid  eyes  smiled  upon  with  a  malo  around 
his  loins,  borne  swiftly  towards  her,  landing  al 
most  at  her  feet.  Their  eyes  met,  and  both  stood 
still  as  though  transfixed  by  some  delightful  sen 
sation,  then  with  a  sudden  joyous  impulse  she 
took  the  Leipalaoa  from  her  bosom  and  threw  it 
around  his  neck,  expressing  a  desire  for  him,  it 
being  a  privilege,  graciously  accorded  her  royal 
station,  to  ask  whom  she  pleased  to  be  her  lover. 
Hiku  with  all  the  fervor  of  the  poetical  nature 
returned  her  impromptu  affection,  for  she  appear 
ed  to  him  like  one  of  his  beautiful  ancestors,  who 
were  Gods  and  Goddesses,  of  whom  Ku  and  Hina 
had  told  him  marvellous  stories  in  his  boyhood. 

The  happy  lovers  repaired  to  the  Chief,  the 
foster  father  of  Kawelu,  and  when  he  learned  of 
Hiku's  exalted  station  readily  gave  consent  to 
their  union. 

Several  months  sped  swiftly  by,  never  had  time 
tripped  along  so  merrily,  his  jaunty  footsteps  be- 

90 


ing  hastened  by  hilarious  luaus  where  hulas  were 
sung-  and  danced;  and  throughout  the  happy 
period  the  two  lovers  nestled  together  like  a  pair 
of  cooing  doves,  never  out  of  each  other's  pres 
ence.  None  amongst  the  hundreds  of  guests 
could  dance  the  hulas  with  such  ease  and  grace, 
nor  sing  so  harmoniously;  and  when  linked  arm 
in  arm  as  they  rode  on  their  surf  boards  on  the 
hissing  breakers,  their  handsome  forms  erect  and 
stately,  they  seemed  to  the  wondering  gazers  like 
the  offspring  of  the  Gods  from  some  mystic  realm 
beyond  the  waste  of  waters  surrounding  their 
tranquil  isle  or  from  one  of  the  millions  of  moving 
worlds  that  shone  above  at  night,  which  ever  fill 
ed  them  with  awe  and  amazement. 

But  there  comes  a  time  in  the  sweetest  mo 
ments  of  our  lives  when  the  causes  which  induced 
them  cease  to  operate,  when  Love  itself  grows 
tired  of  loving.  Hiku  had  never  before  been  so 
long  away  from  his  parents,  and  having  drank  to 
satiety  of  the  love  of  his  graceful  Kawelu,  a 
strong  yearning  filled  his  heart  to  see  his  mother 

91 


Hina,  a  yearning  which  increased  daily,  till  at 
length  he  told  his  affectionate  bride  that  he  must 
leave  her  for  awhile.  With  tears  and  entreaties 
she  implored  him  to  stay,  fearing  this  was  a  ruse 
to  abandon  her,  that  he  no  longer  wished  her 
caresses;  but  he  became  sullen  and  obstinate,  and 
one  day  at  sunrise  he  stealthily  left  the  couch  of 
his  sweet  young  wife,  whose  eyes  were  softly 
closed  in  blissful  slumber. 

Kawelu  awoke;  Hiku  was  gone,  and  whither? 
Perhaps  forever  ?  These  were  the  thoughts  which 
swiftly  filled  her  mind,  and  caused  her  eyes  to 
weep  rivers  of  tears.  Then  she  wildly  prayed  to 
the  Gods  to  bring  him  back  to  her  aching  bosom, 
and  finding  no  response,  set  out  alone  along  the 
mountain  trail  towards  his  home,  where  she  sur 
mised  he  was  journeying.  But  Hiku  with  his 
natural  intuition  knew  of  her  design,  and  calling 
to  his  aid  the  clouds  he  bade  them  intercept  her 
path,  and  the  rain  he  bade  fall  to  make  slippery 
the  ground  for  her  feet,  and  the  branches  of  the 
trees  and  the  ferns  and  vines  to  detain  her.  Des- 
92 


pite  these  obstacles,  with  all  Love's  fond  foolish 
ness,  Kawelu  followed  her  recreant  lover  for 
many  hours,  to  sink  at  last  exhausted  on  the  cold 
wet  earth,  her  soft  skin  torn  by  the  thorny  bushes 
and  branches  of  the  ohias,  and  her  long  silken 
hair  tossed  wildly  around  her  form  where  the 
ieie  vine  had  clutched  it  as  she  passed.  Salt  tears 
flowed  from  her  eyes;  her  rosy  morning  dream  of 
Love  had  vanished,  and  the  black  despair  of  night 
had  taken  its  place.  Calling  loudly  in  the  un 
broken  silence  of  the  forest  for  her  lover,  she 
chanted  the  following  lines  pathetically: 

Pii  ana  Hiku  i  ke  kualono, 
Ka  lala  e  kau  kolo  ana; 
I  keekeehiia  e  ka  ua, 
Helelei  ka  pua  ilalo, 
E  Hiku  hoi  e, 
Hoi  mai  kaua  e! 

Which  roughly  translated  are  as  follows: 

Hiku  has  gone  up  the  mountain, 

Where  the  long  winding  branches  are  creeping, 

93 


And  the  blossoms  fall  thickly  around 
Where  the  rain  on  the  branches  is  weeping: 
Oh  Hiku!   come  back  to  me! 

The  radiant  tropic  morning  has  dawned,  the 
sun  has  kissed  the  raindrops  from  the  faces  of  the 
flowers,  but  on  the  sweet  gentle  face  of  Kawelu 
the  raindrops  of  her  heart  still  fall  unceasingly! 
Vainly  her  father  tries  to  soothe  her  grief,  for  he 
had  found  her  weeping  and  shivering  on  the  lone 
ly  mountain  side;  vainly  her  maids  cluster  around 
with  soft  words  of  condolence.  At  length  she 
sleeps,  and  they  leave  her,  praying  to  the  Gods  to 
take  away  this  great  sorrow,  to  make  her  again 
the  warm  ray  of  sunshine,  gladdening  all  with 
which  it  came  in  contact.  When  they  returned 
Kawelu  was  dead!  Grieved  beyond  endurance  by 
her  tragic  loss  she  sought  release  in  Death  for 
this  maddening  pain  her  heart  could  never  hold, 
fastening  with  her  own  gentlefingers  around  her 
smooth  round  throat  the  death-inducing  cord! 

Hiku  had  greeted  his  mother  Hina  with  a  kiss, 
94 


but  she  bent  upon  him  reproachful  eyes,  and  said 
"My  son,  you  have  killed  your  sister;  already  she 
lies  dead  through  loss  of  you !  You  must  now  go 
and  try  to  undo  the  great  wrong  you  have  com 
mitted."  Then  Hiku  in  despair  rushed  down  the 
mountain  accompanied  by  Ku,  and  reaching  the 
palace  of  his  beautiful  Kawelu  found  his  mother's 
words  to  be  true,  and  with  loud  manifestations  of 
grief  had  her  body  placed  in  a  dark  cool  room 
which  was  tabu  to  all. 

By  his  superior  intuition  Ku  discerned  Kawe- 
lu's  soul  had  gone  to  Aina  Milu,  a  region  of  pleas 
ure  in  the  underwood,  a  place  where  the  spirits  of 
those  who  break  Nature's  laws  go  at  death,  where 
no  sun  ever  shines.  The  entrance  to  this  realm 
of  shades  he  found  to  be  in  the  fertile  valley  of 
Waipio,  and  thither  he  and  the  now  distracted 
Hiku  swiftly  sped,  gathering  as  they  went  the 
Kowali  vine,  weaving  of  it  a  stout  rope.  On  the 
side  of  the  valley  they  discovered  a  large  hole 
(pointed  out  by  the  natives  to  the  present  day) 
which  Ku  said  was  the  entrance  to  this  darksome 

95 


world  of  festive  spirits.  Hiku  unwound  his  huge 
coil  of  rope  \\ith  the  delicate  blue  and  white  Ko- 
wali  flowers  entwined  in  its  strands,  and  prepared 
to  descend  into  the  dark  pit.  Previous  to  doing 
so,  however,  he  provided  himself  with  an  empty 
cocoanut  shell,  and  rubbed  his  body  all  over  with 
some  rotten  kukui  nut  oil,  which  emitted  a  most 
offensive  odor,  and  with  a  kukui  nut  for  a  light, 
whilst  Ku  firmly  held  the  rope,  he  descended  into 
the  blackness. 

On  reaching  the  bottom  he  found  himself  in  a 
gloomy  region  amidst  thorny  trees  without  leaves 
and  fruit,  dry  and  barren,  with  a  close  heavy 
stifling  atmosphere,  whose  odor  excited  the 
senses  and  produced  an  intense  thirst.  Countless 
numbers  of  spirits  were  gathered  there,  all  active 
and  restless,  engaged  in  the  very  games  they  were 
fond  of  on  earth.  A  great  luau  was  being  pre 
pared,  where  thousands  of  phantom  pigs  and 
chickens  were  cooking  in  fires  that  gave  no  light. 
The  Demon  King  Milu  was  going  that  night  to 
marry  a  beautiful  fresh  young  soul  who  had  just 

96 


arrived  in  his  weird  realm;  and  looking  towards 
the  throne  of  the  king  Hiku  in  dismay  saw  she 
was  none  other  than  his  own  lost  bride. 

Much  excitement  was  created  by  the  presence 
of  Hiku,  but  he  smelled  so  badly  of  the  rotten 
kukui  nuts  that  the  spirits  did  not  care  to  ap 
proach  very  closely,  designing  him  "Ke  akua 
pilau," — the  bad  smelling  ghost. 

The  merry  game  of  Kilu  was  going  on  at  the 
time,  and  in  a  few  moments  his  presence  was  for 
gotten  in  its  absorbing  delights.  The  game  is 
one  of  love,  a  wahine  taking  in  her  hand  a  small 
ball,  with  which  she  endeavors  to  strike  the  ka 
naka  she  desires,  chanting  at  the  same  time  a 
verse  of  a  song,  and  if  successful  he  becomes  her 
immediate  lover. 

Kawelu  was  still  seated  on  the  elevated  throne, 
holding  in  her  dainty  fingers  the  little  ball  which 
was  the  promoter  of  this  intense  merriment.  Her 
mobile  lips  were  chanting  a  cooing  refrain,  one 
which  she  and  Hiku  together  had  composed  on 
earth  in  the  glad  days  of  their  grief  wedded  life. 

97 


In  the  midst  of  it  she  stopped,  and  he  took  up  the 
chant,  all  the  others  remaining  silent,  as  the  song 
was  unknown  to  them.  Instantly  she  called  in  a 
tremulous  voice,  "Who  is  this  that  sings;"  as 
though  some  forgotten  memory  had  wakened  in 
her  soul.  No  one  spoke;  then  she  left  her  place 
and  went  amongst  the  throng,  looking  into  each 
face  until  she  came  to  Hiku,  who  was  crouching 
low,  when  she  stopped,  but  finding  in  him  a  bad- 
smelling  ghost  she  returned  and  recommenced 
the  chant.  Again  she  paused  a  moment  when 
half  through,  and  once  more  Hiku  took  up  the  re 
frain.  Kawelu  was  intensely  agitated;  this  time 
she  observed  it  was  the  bad-smelling  spirit  who 
chanted  the  remainder  of  her  melody,  and  again 
approached  him,  but  he  during  this  time  had 
made  a  swing  of  his  long  rope  and  was  swiftly 
swinging  backwards  and  forwards,  to  the  delight 
of  the  clustering  spirits  who  had  never  seen  any 
thing  of  the  kind  before.  "How  smart  the  bad- 
smelling  ghost  is,"  they  said,  whilst  Kawelu  clap 
ped  her  hands  delightedly  at  the  performance, 

98 


expressing  a  desire  to  get  on  the  swing;  but  Hi- 
ku,  disguising  his  voice,  said  "this  is  a  very  diffi 
cult  thing  to  learn;  you  might  injure  yourself 
seriously  if  you  tried  it  without  my  help;  if  you  sit 
in  my  lap  I  will  swing  you,  then  afterwards  you 
can  swing  by  yourself."  But  the  swinging  spirit 
smelled  so  strongly  she  would  not  accept  his  in 
vitation  until  they  had  placed  a  long  wrapper 
around  him,  when  she  did  as  he  suggested. 
Higher  and  higher  Hiku  sent  the  swing;  with  all 
the  strength  of  his  nervy,  muscular,  frame  he  pro 
pelled  it  back  and  forth,  holding  Kawelu  close  to 
his  heart  the  while,  which  was  beating  rapidly 
with  trembling  hopes.  Suddenly  he  pulled  on  the 
rope,  the  signal  agreed  on  with  his  father  to  haul 
him  up,  and  immediately,  still  moving  in  long 
tremendous  sweeps,  the  swing  rose  high  in  the 
air,  higher  and  higher  each  instant,  amidst  the 
alarmed  shouts  of  the  subjects  of  Milu,  whose 
shrill  cries  echoed  gruesomely  along  the  ave 
nues  of  foliageless  trees,  "He  is  stealing  the 
King's  wahine,  he  is  stealing  the  King's  wa- 

99 


hine."  Milu  leaped  madly  forward  to  snatch 
her  from  his  arms,  but  slipped  on  the  Kilu 
ball,  which  lay  on  the  ground,  he  fell  heavily 
forward,  and  was  trampled  under  the  feet  of  his 
excited  minions,  and  swift  as  were  their  move 
ments,  the  marvellous  strength  of  Ku,  hauling  up 
the  swing,  was  more  availing,  for  it  shot  up  the 
black  shaft  with  lightning  rapidity,  the  startled 
Kawelu  struggling  wildly  to  escape,  Hiku  clasp 
ing  her  tightly  to  his  breast,  holding  her  easily  in 
his  strong  grasp,  chanting  some  mystic  words 
wherebv  she  became  smaller  and  smaller,  until 
he  held  her  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  when  he 
forced  her  into  the  empty  cocoanut  shell,  and 
holding  his  fingers  firmly  over  the  hole  safely  re 
turned  to  earth,  glad  to  escape  from  the  gloom  of 
this  underworld  of  unyholesome  mirth  and  cease 
less  revelry.  Quickly  they  turned  their  faces  to 
wards  Hualalai,  looking  in  the  distance  like  a 
dark  ominous  shadow,  and  before  many  hours 
their  anxious  feet  echoed  in  the  chamber  where 
lay  the  mute  body  of  Kawelu,  still  under  strict 


tabu,  no  dog  having  barked  in  the  vicinity  of  its 
sacred  precincts,  nor  foot  of  man  passed  by  the 
spot,  since  their  departure. 

The  spirit  leaves  the  body  through  the  eyes, 
through  the  little  holes  in  the  corners  of  the  eyes 
nearest  the  nose,  when  Death  calls  it.  This  Ku 
and  Hiku  knew,  but  they  also  knew  that  the  spirit 
cannot  return  in  the  same  manner,  that  it  must 
find  its  way,  if  ever  it  returns,  into  its  earthly  tene 
ment  of  flesh  and  blood  through  the  hollow  in  the 
sole  of  the  foot.  Placing  the  cocoanut  there,  and 
removing  his  finger  from  the  hole,  Hiku  com 
manded  the  spirit  of  his  beloved  Kawelu  to  enter 
her  body,  lying  there  so  pathetically  cold  and  still 
that  the  tears  sprang  to  his  eyes  as  he  gazed. 
The  spirit  went  as  far  as  the  knee,  when  it  re 
turned;  again  he  commanded  it  to  enter,  and  this 
time  it  went  to  the  hip,  but  could  go  no  further. 
Once  again  he  commanded  the  spirit  to  seek  an 
entrance,  and  with  fluttering  heart  and  motion 
less  limbs  awaited  the  outcome  of  those  terribly 
anxious  moments,  for  well  he  knew  how  many 


were  the  chances  of  the  soul  being  lost  in  the  in 
tricate  channels  of  the  body,  then  to  his  unbound 
ed  joy  he  perceived  a  slight  pulsing  movement  of 
the  eyelids,  then  a  gradual  unveiling  of  her  liquid 
dark-brown  orbs,  as  she  murmured,  "Why  did 
you  wake  me;  I  had  so  pleasant  a  sleep;  why  did 
you  not  let  me  rest;"  but  when  she  felt  the  warm- 
impassioned  kisses  of  her  lover  on  her  cold  lips, 
and  heard  his  voice  sounding  in  her  ears  like  rare 
music  she  vaguely  remembered  having  heard  be 
fore  under  sweet  conditions,  breathing  protesta 
tions  of  affection  and  love,  and  when  his  warm 
tears  of  joyous  thankfulness  fell  on  her  smooth 
velvetry  cheek,  she  awoke  to  a  full  realization  of 
the  tranquil  bliss  of  love,  of  the  delicious  unspeak 
able  harmony  poets  vainly  endeavor  to  describe, 
remembering  vividly  the  weird  events  of  the  past 
few  days,  and  her  arms  twined  lovingly  around 
the  form  of  her  own  Hiku,  on  whose  trembling 
bosom  she  softly  nestled. 

Centuries  have  passed;  Hiku  and  Kawelu  no 
longer  exist  on  this  plane  of  action,  but  whilst  the 


102 


Hawaiian  race  endures  will  live  the  story  of  their 
love,  and  the  spectral  past  with  its  warriors  and 
gods,  and  its  warm  love  and  worship  and 
song  and  story  will  ever  be  brilliantly  reflect 
ed  in  their  hearts.  The  lovers  lived  to  a  mel 
low  old  age,  ever  faithful  to  each  other, 
blessed  with  a  numerous  offspring,  from  whom 
the  kings  of  Hawaii  claimed  descent.  And 
the  old  kamaainas  will  earnestly  tell  you  that 
every  bit  of  this  romantic  story  is  absolutely  true. 

MAURICIO. 


103 


HREE  riders  came  out  of  the  woods, 
and,  turning  into  the  road  leading 
from  Napoopoo  to  the  uplands, 
slowly  began  the  ascent.  As  they 
went  up,  the  long  plains,  reaching 
from  the  forest  covered  heights 
of  Mauna  Loa  to  the  ocean,  seemed  to  grow 
broader,  and  the  sea  rose  higher,  till  the  far 
away  horizon  almost  touched  the  sinking  sun. 
Lanes  of  glassy  water  stretched  from  the  shore 
into  illimitable  distance.  A  ship  lying  motion 
less  looked  as  if  hanging  in  mid-air.  Under  the 
cliff  the  delicate  lines  of  cocoanut  and  palm  trees 

104 


were  silhouetted  against  the  ocean  mirror.  Far 
to  the  south  ran  the  black  and  frowning  coast,  re 
lieved  here  and  there  by  white  lines  of  foam 
creeping  lazily  in  from  the  ocean,  only  to  look 
darker  as  the  surf  melted  from  sight.  On  the 
plain,  little  clusters  of  trees,  or  a  house,  or  a  thin 
curl  of  smoke,  indicated  the  presence  of  men: 
and  back  of  all  rose  the  forest,  vast,  dim  and  mys 
terious,  stretching  away  for  miles  till  lost  in  the 
clouds  resting  softly  on  the  bosom  of  the  moun 
tain. 

Such  a  scene  could  not  fail  to  arrest  attention, 
and,  though  our  riders  were  tired,  they  reined  in 
their  horses  to  enjoy  its  quiet  beauty. 

"What  a  wonderful  scene !  I  have  been  through 
Europe,  feasted  my  eyes  on  the  Alps,  and  have 
seen  the  finest  that  America  can  produce,  but  I 
never  saw  its  equal,"  said  the  tourist. 

"It  looks  as  if  such  a  picture  might  be  the 
theatre  of  thrilling  romance  and  history"  said 
the  Coffee  Planter.  "Is  it  not  here  that  Captain 
Cook  was  killed  ?  And  I  think  I  have  heard  that 

105 


a  famous  battle  was  fought  somewhere  near:  the 
last  struggle  of  the  past  against  advancing  Chris 
tianity." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Native,  slowly,  with  a  ling 
ering  look  in  his  eyes,  as  he  turned  from  the  in 
spiring  view  to  his  companions.  "Yes,  this  is  all 
historic  ground.  Over  there  under  the  setting 
sun,  at  Kuamoo,  was  fought  the  battle  of  Kekua- 
okalani,  and  there  a  heroic  woman  braved  and 
met  death  with  her  husband,  a  rebel  chief.  On 
these  plains  below  and  on  yonder  heights  there 
have  been  many  thrilling  scenes  in  Hawaii's  his 
tory.  But  all  of  the  romance  is  not  in  the  past. 
Do  you  see  those  houses  away  down  the  coast, 
this  side  of  the  high  lands  of  Honokua?  See 
how  they  glow  in  the  setting  sun-light.  That  is 
Hookena,  and  only  a  few  years  ago  it  witnessed 
the  last  act  in  a  simple  drama,  which  can  hardly 
be  excelled  in  all  the  tales  of  heroism  in  the  past. 
It  was  told  me  in  part  by  the  woman  who  was  or 
is  the  heroine,  for  she  yet  lives.  And  I  looked  at 
106 


her  in  wonder,  because  she  was  so  unconscious 
of  it  all." 

"Let  us  hear  the  story,"  said  the  Planter.  "We 
will  sit  on  that  high  point  and  watch  this  glorious 
scene  fade  into  moonlight,  while  we  rest  and 
listen."  They  dismounted  and  stepped  from  the 
road  to  a  projecting  rock  and,  throwing  them 
selves  on  the  grass  where  none  of  the  wonderful 
vision  could  be  missed,  listened.  The  Native 
looked  a  little  embarrassed  at  his  sudden  trans 
formation  from  guide  to  story-teller,  but  accept 
ed  the  position  and  began. 

"Many  years  ago  a  native  family  lived  a  few 
miles  above  Hookena,  on  land  which  had  been 
occupied  by  their  ancestors  for  generations,  for 
they  belonged  to  the  race  of  chiefs.  The  house 
was  hidden  from  the  road,  in  the  midst  of  a  grove 
of  orange,  bread-fruit,  mango,  banana  and  other 
trees.  It  is  on  storied  ground,  for  many  stirring 
events  in  the  past  history  of  Hawaii  had  occurred 
here.  A  son  and  three  daughters  were  the  child 
ren.  They  received  more  than  the  usual  care  and 

107 


attention  given  to  Hawaiian  children,  and  had 
grown  to  man  and  womanhood  serious  and  re 
flective.  The  young  man,  Keawe,  was  rilled  with 
a  desire  to  do  something  noble  for  his  dying  race. 
Though  he  had  travelled  over  the  Islands  and 
had  been  well  received  everywhere,  yet  he  was 
heart-free,  and  said  he  would  never  marry,  but 
wait  untrammelled  till  his  time  for  action  should 
come.  With  eagerness  he  watched  political  de 
velopments  at  the  capital.  His  heart  beat  v/Udly 
when  the  last  Kamehameha  died,  and  Kaiakaua 
was  elected  King.  Such  a  method  of  King-mak 
ing  did  not  suit  his  chivalric  ideas.  The  records 
of  personal  prowess,  of  brave  chiefs  and  noble 
women  were  his  delight.  He  mourned  that  such 
records  belonged  to  the  well  nigh  forgotten  past. 
His  ambition  was  not  ignoble.  He  wanted  the 
Hawaiians  to  be  worthy  of  the  best  civilization, 
to  maintain  a  Hawaiian  kingdom,  because  that 
the  native  was  equal  to  it.  While  he  mourner!, 
he  condemned  the  frequent  failures,  under  which 
the  native  was  forfeiting  the  confidence  of  his 

108 


white  friends.  He  was  one  of  the  overwhelming 
majority  who  regarded  Kalakaua's  accession  as 
unworthy,  and  as  the  beginning  of  the  end  of 
Hawaiian  supremacy. 

One  day,  while  fishing  at  the  beach  where  he 
was  doing  more  dreaming  than  fishing;  some 
times  idly  watching  a  laughing  company  of  girls 
who  were  bathing  and  surf-riding;  he  was  startled 
by  a  cry  of  terror.  Springing  to  his  feet,  he  saw 
that  one  of  the  girls  was  desperately  struggling 
to  swim  ashore,  where  her  affrighted  companions 
were  running  wildly  about  crying  for  help. 
Looking  toward  the  sea  he  saw  a  large  fin  on  the 
surface  rapidly  following  the  swimmer.  Accus 
tomed  to  every  athletic  sport;  perfectly  at  home 
in  the  water;  always  cool  and  self  possessed,  he 
saw,  that  to  overtake  her,  the  shark  must  pass  a 
low  rocky  headland,  and  in  an  instant  he  was 
there  with  a  long  knife  in  his  hand.  He  remem 
bered  seeing  the  face  of  the  girl  as  she  struggled 
desperately  to  escape.  There  was  a  single  terri 
fied  glance,  but  he  saw  a  beautiful  woman,  with  a 

109 


face  indicating  a  higher  type  than  usual.  There 
was  no  time  for  admiration.  The  shark  was  turn 
ing  and,  with  a  horrid  open  mouth,  was  about  to 
rush  upon  its  victim.  He  gave  a  loud  shout, 
jumped  full  upon  the  huge  beast,  and  in  an  in 
stant  had  plunged  his  knife  to  the  hilt  again  and 
again  into  its  body.  Then  he  was  hurled  into  the 
seething  brine,  as  the  frightened  animal  with 
frantic  plunges  rushed  seaward.  Coming  to  the 
surface  and  looking  about  he  saw  the  body  of  the 
girl  near  by.  He  thought  her  dead.  She  was 
indeed  stunned  and  hurt,  for  the  shark  gave  her 
a  fearful  blow  in  turning.  It  was  the  work  of 
only  a  minute  to  drag  her  out.  There  for  a 
moment  he  saw  the  full  measure  of  her  youth  and 
beauty,  but  did  not  wait  for  returning  conscious 
ness.  Seeing  that  she  was  recovering  he  walked 
swiftly  away. 

But  he  was  wounded,  and,  denounce  and  re 
proach  himself  as  he  would,  the  sweet  face  ever 
and  anon  came  before  his  eyes,  and  sent  the  blood 
tingling  and  dancing  through  his  veins.  He 

no 


tried  to  crush  out  the  image,  and  determined  to 
enter  into  active  life;  to  cease  dreaming-,  and  be 
gin  then  and  at  once  to  accomplish  his  high  aims. 
The  political  campaign,  culminating  in  the 
election  of  1886,  had  commenced.  Kalakaua  had 
announced  the  aim  of  his  reign:  to  increase  and 
develope  the  Hawaiian  people.  "Hawaii  for  the 
Hawaiians"  made  an  inspiring  war  cry.  Keawe 
entered  with  energy  and  hope  into  the  conflict. 
Yet  it  troubled  him,  and  it  seemed  as  if  there  was 
something  wrong  in  opposing  the  noble  Pilipo, 
who  had  so  long  faithfully  represented  the  people 
of  Kona  in  the  National  Legislature.  But  Kala 
kaua  declared  that  Pilipo  must  be  replaced  by 
another  man,  and  was  himself  coming  to  assist 
in  the  conflict.  With  the  ancient  faith  and  con 
fidence  in  the  chief,  Keawe  put  aside  his  doubts 
and  worked  day  and  night  for  the  success  of  the 
holy  cause.  It  was  holy  to  him  and  as  the  day  of 
election  drew  near,  his  belief  grew  stronger,  that 
at  last  a  deliverer  had  come  and  Hawaii  was  to 
be  redeemed.  Already  he  saw,  in  a  bright  future, 


a  government  by  Hawaiians  with  full  friendship 
for  all  nations,  and  cordial  relations  with  those 
who  had  helped  his  people  into  the  best  light  of 
civilization.  The  King  came,  and  with  him  a 
troop  of  palace  guards  from  Honolulu.  When 
all  of  these  were,  by  the  royal  will,  duly  register 
ed  as  voters,  and  means,  other  than  argument 
and  persuasion,  were  used  to  help  on  the  good 
cause,  a  chilly  sense  of  something  wrong  cooled 
Keawe's  ardor.  He  met  the  King  and  was  cor 
dially  received.  His  heart  bounded  with  pleasure 
at  words  of  praise  for  his  work.  An  invitation  to 
a  feast  and  dance  was  accepted,  and  only  when 
he  went  and  saw,  did  he  realize  the  mockery  and 
sham  behind  the  fine  words.  Heart  sick,  dizzy 
with  a  sore  disappointment,  early  the  next  morn 
ing,  when  all  were  sleeping,  he  mounted  his  horse 
and  stole  away,  alone.  The  cold  mountain  air 
relieved  the  pain  in  his  head,  but  his  heart  was 
weary  and  the  future  looked  dark.  He  saw  that 
if  there  was  momentary  triumph,  all  the  sooner 
disaster  must  come;  and  he  longed  to  know  how 


to  avert  the  danger.  He  grew  weary  thinking 
and  trying  to  hope,  and  his  thoughts  went  to 
other  things.  Again  he  was  in  the  water,  strug 
gling  to  save  her  life.  Again  the  sweet  face  ap 
peared  before  him,  so  fair  and  gentle.  The  sun 
was  hot  now;  he  had  ridden  for  hours,  and, 
alighting,  threw  himself  on  the  grass  and  looked 
up  through  the  leafy  bower  at  the  bright  sky. 
Perhaps  he  slept;  at  any  rate  he  dreamed  that  a 
sweet  voice  was  singing  "Aloha  oe."  He  sat  up 
and  listened.  It  was  not  a  dream,  and  a  strong 
desire  to  see  the  face  of  the  singer  possessed  him. 
The  voice  drew  nearer,  then  she  passed  near  by 
carrying  a  pitcher,  and  went  to  a  spring.  It  was 
the  girl  he  had  saved  from  the  shark !  She  wore  a 
loose  flowing  gown  of  white,  and  a  maile  branch 
twisted  about  her  head  hardly  confined  the  silky 
hair  which  floated  down  her  back.  A  coral  pin 
held  the  gown  at  her  neck.  Short  sleeves  only 
partly  hid  her  graceful  and  shapely  arms. 

Keawe  arose  and  stood  watching.     His  heart 
beat    tumultuously.      No  other  woman  had  so 

113 


strongly  moved  him,  and  now  he  would  speak 
and  not  run  again.  A  movement  startled  her, 
and  rising  with  the  dripping  pitcher  in  her  hand, 
she  turned  and  saw  him.  That  she  knew  him 
was  instantly  evident;  but  her  eyes  modestly 
dropped  and  she  moved  as  if  to  go.  But  he  was 
in  the  path,  and,  seeing  that,  she  hesitated  and 
turned  to  go  through  the  woods,  but  could  not 
and  stood  again,  looking  at  her  feet  which  just 
peeped  from  below  the  gown.  Keawe  step 
ped  towards  her  and  said,  "Do  you  remember 
the  shark?"  "Yes,  I  know  you,"  she  replied. 
Her  eyes  said  more  and  he  saw  it  again.  As  he 
stepped  nearer  she  said,  "Why  did  you  not  let 
me  thank  you  ?  I  thought  you  might  come."  It 
flashed  through  his  mind  that  he  had  wasted  two 
months  pursuing  an  ignis  fatuus,  only  to  have 
nothing  but  bitterness  at  the  end,  when  it  might 

have  been  !     "I  was  afraid  to  come," 

he  replied.  "I  wanted  to  work  for  Hawaii  and 
our  people."  "Yes,  I  know,"  she  said.  "You 
have  spoken  bravely.  All  Kona  trusts  in  your 

"4 


words!"  "Did  you  believe  them?"  he  quickly 
asked.  "Do  you  believe  in  me?"  A  look  was 
her  reply.  "Will  you  believe  in  me  if  I  say  that 
I  have  done  with  'Hawaii  for  the  Hawaiians',  un 
der  such  leadership?"  "I  will  always  believe  in 
you.  But  come,  you  are  tired.  My  father  will  be 
glad  to  meet  you"  she  said  quickly.  "May  I 
drink?"  he  said,  and  held  out  his  hand.  She 
gave  him  the  pitcher,  which  he  held  and  looked 
at  the  pretty  figure  standing  near  the  spring. 
"You  are  Rebecca  at  the  well."  "And  are  you 
Abraham's  servant  ?"  "No,  I  am  Isaac  himself," 
he  replied  and  tried  to  take  her  hand.  "Oh!  but 
Isaac  did  not  meet  Rebecca  at  the  well!"  And, 
laughing  merrily,  she  ran  down  the  path  towards 
her  home.  He  followed  but  though  he  wanted, 
the  opportunity  for  other  words  did  not  come; 
she  was  so  coy. 

It  was  not  the  only  visit.  Very  often  did  busi 
ness  calls  take  him  along  that  lovely  mountain 
road  and  there  was  always  a  welcome  at  the  home 

"S 


of  Lilia.  He  told  her  of  his  love,  and  in  April 
they  were  married. 

They  built  a  little  cottage  which  nestled  snugly 
in  a  quiet  valley  on  the  mountain  side,  and  there 
they  passed  a  few  months  of  perfect  happiness. 
All  loved  them.  He  was  regarded  as  the  wise 
adviser  and  friend  of  the  country-side.  She  be 
came  the  gentle  sister  of  those  who  were  ill,  or 
suffering  or  wayward,  and  their  home  was  the 
center  of  an  influence  which  helped  and  lifted. 

But  a  shadow  came  into  their  lives.  He  grew 
silent,  reserved,  almost  afraid  of  his  beautiful  Li 
lia.  She  watched  with  eager  anxiety  and  en 
treated  his  confidence,  but  his  lips  were  sealed. 
Only  his  tremulous  voice  and  shaking  hand  be 
trayed  suffering.  Sometimes  she  fancied  that  his 
hands  grew  palsied  and  his  bright  eye  was  dim, 
but  repelled  the  fancy  with  terror.  One  day  he 
came  home  with  such  a  look  that  her  heart  stood 
still,  and  words  died  upon  her  lips.  He  gazed 
into  her  eyes  with  passionate  agony  and,  taking 
her  hands,  said  "Will  you  still  believe  in  me  if  I 

116 


say  we  must  part;  that  I  must  leave  you  and  go 
away,  and  you  must  stay  here  and  live  out  your 
life — your  precious  life,  so  dear  to  me — all,  all 
alone?"    Then  her  courage  came,  and  she  said, 
"No,  I  will  never  leave  you.     You  are  mine.    I 
must  go  too,  wherever  you  go!"    "But,"  said  he, 
"I  have  seen  the  examining  surgeon  to-day,  and 
he  says  that  I  must  go  by  the  next  trip  of  the 
steamer  to  Honolulu."    And  then  the  full  meas 
ure  of  her  woe  dawned  upon  the  stricken  wife. 
With  unutterable  anguish  she  threw  her  arms 
about  his  body  and  clasped  him  tightly  to  her 
breast.    "I  was  allowed  to  come  here  and  prepare 
to  go,  and  to  bid  a  last  farewell  to  all  I  hold  so 
dear.     I  shall  never  see  these  trees,  the  flowers, 
this  house,  my  friends,  nor  you,  my  precious  wife, 
again."    But  her  face  had  grown  hard  and  stern, 
and,  relaxing  her  hold,  she  told  her  plan.    It  was 
to  take  him  into  a  far  off  deep  recess  in  the 
woods.    There  was  up  the  mountain  side  a  deep 
crater,  overgrown  with  trees,  ferns,  vines  and  a 
wild  luxuriance  of  growth,  which  kindly  nature 

117 


had  draped  so  softly  that  its  hideousness  was  lost. 
It  was  considered  inaccessible,  and  only  the 
family  knew  of  an  ancient  lava  cavern  which  en 
tered  its  deepest  recess.  One  of  several  mouths 
of  the  cavern  was  near  the  house.  "But  the  law 
says  that  I  must  go"  he  urged.  "There  is  no  law 
higher  than  my  love  for  you,"  and  he  yielded  to 
her  imperious  urgency.  Quickly  and  stealthily 
she  carried  there  such  articles  as  the  simplest  life 
might  require,  and  a  few  days  later,  when  the  offi 
cers  of  the  law  came,  Keawe  was  not  to  be  found 
and  no  one  knew  where  they  had  gone. 

With  untiring  love  the  wife  watched  and  aided 
her  husband.  Together  they  built  a  little  bower 
out  of  view  from  the  upper  edges  of  the  crater, 
under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  kukui  tree. 
A  little  pool,  fed  by  the  constant  drip  from  the 
over-hanging  wall,  supplied  them  with  pure 
water.  Near  at  hand,  under  a  mass  of  ferns, 
maile  and  ieie,  was  the  mouth  of  the  cavern.  She 
grew  familiar  with  its  turns  and  windings,  till 
she  almost  dared  to  brave  its  black  recesses  with- 

118 


out  a  torch.  In  one  of  its  dry  and  sheltered  wind 
ings,  she  stored  articles  of  food  and  clothing, 
thinking  that  sometime  a  watch  might  be  sta 
tioned  at  the  home  on  the  hill-side,  and  she  could 
not  venture  out.  But  days  melted  into  weeks; 
weeks  became  months:  two  years  passed,  and 
their  hiding  place  was  not  discovered.  No  one 
came,  though  Keawe  often  longed  to  see  the  faces 
of  friends.  But  they  were  afraid  to  venture  near 
and  the  cavern  echoed  only  to  her  feet,  and  the 
silence  of  the  deep  pit  was  only  broken  by  their 
voices  and  the  music  of  birds.  At  times,  a  sud 
den  gust  rushed  down  the  steep  sides  and  every 
tree  waved  and  bowed  its  head,  and  the  leaves 
of  the  banana  rustled  and  quivered.  The  sun 
light  only  touched  the  bottom  in  summer  and 
then  for  a  few  minutes  only.  But  it  was  not 
gloomy,  the  glorious  sky  was  always  there  and 
the  brilliant  light,  and  bloom  and  fragrance  filled 
the  air.  No,  it  was  not  always  bright,  sometimes 
tempests  whirled  far  over  their  heads;  trees  in  the 
world  above  tossed  their  branches  over  the  abyss, 

119 


leaves  and  twigs  fell  gently,  or  branches,  and 
once,  a  tree,  were  hurled  down  with  deafening 
noise.    The  roar  of  thunder,  and  vast  sheets  and 
torrents  of  rain  filled  the  pit.     Once,  in  a  still 
night,  they  were  startled  and  terrified  by  a  sud 
den  boom  far  below    their  feet    and  the  earth 
shook,  stones  rattled  down  the  rocky  sides  of  the 
abyss,  and  they  remembered  the  dread  power  of 
the  volcano.    "It  is  Pele!  she  is  angry  with  us!" 
cried  Lilia.     "No,"    replied  her  husband,    "we 
have  thrown  ourselves  into  the  protecting  bosom 
of  the  Goddess !    We  are  safe  in  her  arms."  They 
were  safe  from   human   sight   and   interference, 
and  Lilia's  soul  feasted  in  the  presence  of  him  she 
loved.    She  poured  out  upon  him  such  a  wealth 
of  devotion,  that  a  miser  might  have  envied.    But 
alas,  though  safe  from  man,  he  was  under  the  fell 
power  of  disease,  and  slowly  yielded.     Day  after 
day  he  grew  weaker  and  less  able  to  help  himself, 
until  the  fond  wife  performed  the  most  menial 
tasks.     But  they  were  not  menial  to  her.     Every 
thing  for  him  was  a  glory  and  a  joy. 
120 


"I  cannot  last  long"  he  said  one  day,  "and  I 
want  you  to  have  my  lands.  Get  your  mother's 
young  husband,  the  lawyer,  to  come,  that  it  may 
be  settled."  He  came,  and,  looking  wonderingly 
about,  prepared  a  deed  which  he  said  would  ac 
complish  the  object.  Keawe  was  not  satisfied. 
"It  sounds  wrong — why  should  the  name  of  your 
wife  appear?  he  asked.  "She  is  your  wife's 
mother,"  was  the  reply,  "and  you  cannot  convey 
to  your  wife  direct.  When  this  deed  is  recorded 
my  wife  can  then  convey  to  your  wife.  You  must 
hurry  or  it  will  be  too  late,"  said  the  coming  man. 
With  some  doubt  still,  but  trusting  to  his  friend's 
good  faith,  knowing  he  was  alone  cut  off  from  all 
the  world,  Keawe  signed,  and  the  deed  was  taken 
away.  Patiently  they  waited  for  weeks  to  finish 
the  business,  "and  then,"  said  Keawe,  "you  will 
have  a  home."  But  the  lawyer  did  not  come,  and 
evaded  Lilia's  eager  questions. 

One  day  when  returning  to  the  cavern,  her 
heart  stood  still  as  she  saw  slowly  emerging  from 
its  mouth,  several  police  officers,  bearing  on  a 


rough  litter  the  helpless  form  of  her  beloved  Kea- 
we.  At  a  glance  she  saw  the  whole  base  decep 
tion.  Her  step-father  had  betrayed  their  secret 
hiding  place,  and  the  end  had  come!  With  a 
frantic  wail  of  despair,  she  flung  herself  at  their 
feet  and  begged  and  implored.  But  her  entrea 
ties  were  vain,  and  the  sick  man  was  taken  to 
Hookena  where  the  steamer  was  waiting.  At 
the  landing,  as  the  boat  drew  near  the  shore,  she 
learned  that  he  was  to  go  alone  and  then  her 
grief  knew  no  bounds.  As  he  was  put  on  board 
and  turned  imploring  eyes  on  her,  she  made  a 
desperate  attempt  to  go  too,  and  in  her  struggle 
her  clothing  was  almost  torn  away.  The  officers 
of  the  law  thought  they  were  doing  their  duty, 
but  their  eyes  were  full  of  pity.  "Keawe!  Oh 
Keawe,  my  beloved  husband!"  she  cried,  "let  me 
go  with  you!"  But  no  answer  came.  The  steam 
er  turned  her  head  towards  the  sea,  and  he  was 
gone.  She  fell  to  the  earth,  and  lay  with  buried 
face  for  many  minutes.  It  seemed  to  her  that 
nothing  was  left  and  bitterly  she  mourned  her 


122 


loss.  But  suddenly  starting,  she  asked  eagerly 
for  a  horse,  which  was  furnished  at  once  by  a 
sympathetic  friend.  Mounting,  she  went  without 
stopping  for  rest  or  food  until,  on  the  second  day, 
Kawaihae  was  reached.  Soon  a  steamer  came, 
and  she  went  to  Honolulu,  only  to  hear  on  land 
ing  that  Keawe  had  died  on  the  trip  down.  Giv 
ing  way  to  despair,  she  dejected  sought  the  house 
of  an  aunt,  where  she  was  kindly  received,  and 
there  she  remained  for  several  months." 

"And  that  is  the  story,"  said  the  Native. 

"It  is  rather  sad,  but  she  was  a  heroine  sure 
enough,"  said  the  Planter. 

The  pale  light  of  the  crescent  moon  served 
only  to  render  the  landscape  shadowy.  All  nature 
rested:  An  owl  fluttered  slowly  by  and  a  soft 
murmur  from  far  below  told  that  the  restless  sea 
alone  moved.  There  was  no  other  sound.  The 
riders  mounted  and  silently  stole  away. 

THE  NATIVE. 


123 


iiiiir,?0.U.TH.!.Rri.?E9.l?NAI-  L|BRARY  FACILITY 


A     000718405     4 


